Guardians of the Chosen
by picc.lover
Summary: Kagome is a guardian, the best one, along with Sango. InuYasha's father is a business monster. What will happen on Halloween this year for Kagome? Will she stay alive? Slight Kikyo bashing, not much, a LOT of language in here.
1. Chapter 1

I'm just chillin' in my AP Japanese class diagonally from my best friend Sango, who is diagonally from my other best friend, Miroku. That means Miroku is next to me, but there's a seat in between us that's open and one in front of me that's open. We've already taken the test, but it's October, so we are going to get A's in that class all year. Right now, however, Sango is fighting with Miroku. They have the hots for each other.

"Miroku, I swear, if you don't stop touching Kagome's and my asses, I'll kill you." She got close to his face.

He planted a small kiss on her lips, and ran behind the teacher's desk.

Speaking of the devil, Mr. Myoga walked into the room, two new students trailing him, both with white hair. They're both kinda cute I guess. I look over to Sango as she mouths 'they're so hot'. I just roll my eyes and laugh.

"Miss Higurashi, please sit on the chair, not the desk." I jumped off the desk and into the chair. "Miroku, get out from under my desk. Sango, stop trying to destroy another student. Miroku, stop making Sango want to hurt you. Out of the three of you students that took the test, you two are the worst. At least Kagome doesn't try to hurt people." Under normal circumstances.

Myoga turned to the rest of the class. It was then that I noticed what the two new boys looked like. One had small dog ears on the top of his head, a smirk on his face, and was dressed in a red graphic tee and dark blue jeans, with a black leather jacket on over it. The other looked similar, with his white hair and golden eyes, but he had purple lightning stripes under his eyes, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail and he wore light blue jeans, and a button-up white shirt. They looked better than Miroku, with his ripped black jeans and purple shirt.

"Now then class, we have some new students." Myoga stepped aside to let the one with purple stripes to the front.

"My name is Sesshomaru Takahashi-"

"And I'm InuYasha Takahashi." Piped the one with dog ears.

I looked over at Sango who whispered "And my name is Sango Taijia." We whisper-giggled.

The one called Sesshomaru looked over at us as if he heard us. I shut my mouth and looked forward whereas Sango just kept on. "Anyway, InuYasha is my-"

"_Half_ brother. We're not full brothers."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes to calm himself. "InuYasha shut up and allow me to speak."

InuYasha snorted. "Oh please, you're so boring no one wants to listen to you."

Miroku raised his hand. "On the contrary, I find Sesshomaru quite engaging when it comes to conversation."

Sango and I both looked over at Miroku like he'd lost his mind. You could tell in his tone that he was joking. "Miroku!" I whisper-yelled at him. "Shut the hell up."

Sesshomaru smirked, but it soon vanished into his stoic face. "Mr. Myoga, we're done." Myoga stepped back up and started talking. I felt my pants buzz, meaning my phone went off.

I looked at it to see that Sango had sent me a text.

**Oh my gosh, can you believe that we have Takahashi's in our school, let alone our class.**

I replied back to her.

**What's the big deal, they're people. –Kagome.**

** What's the big deal? Kagome, do you have any idea who they are? Do you even know who their father is? –Sango.**

** Nope, I don't know who they are. Should I know? –Kagome.**

** Kagome, their father is only the most successful business man of all time. He owns Big-Foot stationary and Banana Electronics. –Sango.**

** Oh, that's cool I guess. I'm not a big fan of bananas or fake creatures, but whatever. I'm sure Sesshomaru is a nice person. –Kagome.**

** And what about InuYasha? Hey, are you gone tonight? –Sango.**

** He seems a bit too cocky for his own good. And yeah I'm going. I have to go until five-thirty. –Kagome.**

** He does seem that way. And five-thirty? That's a bit harsh, don't you think? –Sango.**

** It is cruel, but whatever it takes. The time isn't what I'm worried about, it's KIKYO! She makes me so mad. –Kagome.**

** She is such a skank. I can't believe ****_she_**** is the protected one and you're just a guardian. –Sango.**

** It's whatever, not a big deal. I don't mind, it gets my mind off of you-know-what. –Kagome.**

I didn't get to read her next message. "Miss Higurashi, Miss Tiajia, please put your phones away. You two are the worst when it comes to communicating. Anyway, let's find you two a place to sit." He looked over at me with an evil glint in his eyes. "There is one seat open in front of Kagome, and one open next to her. Pick which one you want."

All of a sudden, five girls came running at me. Four of them tripped over a chair, and three hurdled over to me, a chair following them. I jumped out of my chair and would've run when my feet hit the ground…if they hit the ground that is. They all hit me mid-air, sending me flying back into the wall. My head hit a shelf and that fell on me. The chair, which had gone with them, landed above my head on its legs, protecting my face from the wood.

The other three girls, Eri, Ayumi and Yuka I think, were all on top of me, complaining. "That hurt!" or "I broke a nail!".

"Okay, while I'm sure you're all hurt, can you maybe have this conversation while getting off of me." I gave all them all a look. When they glared at me, I glared right back at them and they complied. One of them, though, stepped on my stomach. "Thank you." I shoved the chair away from my face, and sat up. A clawed hand was in front of me.

"Are you all right?" Came Sesshomaru's voice from above me. "Please, allow me." I put my hand in his and he helped me up. Once I was up, his hand lingered on mine for a moment before he dropped it.

"I'm good thank you though." I gave him a small smile.

"Are you sure? You hit your head pretty hard." He lifted his hand back up and I soon felt his hand feeling the back of my head for a bump of any kind.

"Yeah, I'm good." His hand moved to the back-left side, and I felt a pang of pain. "Ow!" I shrunk forward, away from his hand.

He raised his eyebrows. "You're fine, are you? Just as stubborn…" I didn't hear the last part. He turned me around and moved my hair away. "She has a small bump. Nothing to be too concerned about I don't think. She should really go to the nurse though."

"Nurse? Nah, she's good. That head of hers is fine. I'm worried about the shelf." Came Miroku's voice.

"And you two are the worst when it comes to messing around. Kagome, go to the nurse, would you." Said Myoga.

I sighed. "Fine. Give me a pass and I'll go." He began writing a pass for me.

"Do you need someone to go with you?"

"I'll go with her." Came a voice from behind me. It was InuYasha.

"No, thank you though." I took the pass out of Myoga's hand and walked out of the room. I was vaguely aware of someone following me, so I hooked a hard right into an empty hallway and waited. The footsteps quickened in pace, and when they were on top of the hallway, I jumped on their back and wrestled them to the ground. "Who are you and why are you following me!" Then I saw the white hair and dog ears. "InuYasha? The hell are you doing?" I got off his back.

"You have some pretty quick reflexes for a human. You could pass as a decent demon if you wanted to. Could pass for a good half-demon too. I said I'd walk you, so it's okay." By now he'd gotten up from the ground where I'd pinned him seconds ago.

My face hardened. "I told you I didn't need anyone to take me to the nurse. I'm fine and don't even need to go to the nurse."

"Whatever. I just didn't want to sit next to Miroku." A devious smile formed on his face.

"What, do you not like him or something? Do you have a problem with him?" I said it in my most menacing voice.

He looked scared. "No, me and Miroku are best friends, just like you and Sango are. Not like Sango and Miroku though, I'd rather not kiss him and more."

"What? Why would Sango kiss Miroku?"

"Because girlfriends tend to kiss their boyfriends, don't they?" He gave a small laugh at the end of his sentence.

"Yeah, they do, but those two aren't dating."

He gave me a puzzled look. "That's what he told me."

"So, Miroku told you that he and Sango are an item?" He nodded and I laughed so hard I doubled over. His arm went around my waist. "I'm okay." I wiped a tear from my eye. "That's so funny. They like each other, but they're not dating. He lied to you dude."

He gave me a smile. "Yeah, sure."

"What's with the smile?"

"You don't call me dude if we aren't friends."

"No. I don't do friends with people I don't know, no thank you."

"How about dinner tonight, my place. You'll know me after that, won't you?" He winked at me. Yeah, no, I don't think so.

"Sorry, I have a previous engagement." I shrugged my shoulders and kept walking to the nurse when he caught up with me. "Why are you following me?"

"I told you I was going to walk you to the nurse, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but I told you that I didn't need to be walked, didn't I?" I took on the same tone as he used on me.

He gave me a look. "Well, I'm older than you, so ha, Kagome." He smirked.

""You know my name, big deal."

"Kagome Higurashi."

"You know my last name, big deal."

"You play piano like a boss, and you sing like a boss."

"Who."

"Miroku."

"I'll kill him, the traitor." InuYasha was still smirking. "InuYasha Takahashi. You're father…" What did Sango say about his dad. "You're father does something. Your half-brother is Sesshomaru." He was giving me a strange look. "What?"

"You don't know about my father?"

I sighed. "Sango told me, but I forgot." I kept walking.

"So you don't hate me because you think I'm a spoiled, arrogant jerk?"

"No." He gave a sigh of relief. "I hate you only because you're arrogant. I don't know if you're a jerk or spoiled." He pouted. "You look like a sad puppy."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "You wanna make me a happy puppy?"

I glared at him. "Hell no." I kept walking and he followed me. "Would you stop?" I turned to face him.

His face hardened. "Look, I'm just trying to be nice."

"I didn't ask you to be nice. I'm fine. I don't need your help, or anyone's help for that matter. Leave me alone. Please." I emphasized the 'please'.

He got a look of shock on his face. "S-sure. Okay." He slowly started to back away, and I turned back and started to walk to the nurse. Stupid brat thinks he can do whatever he wants to.

I reached the nurse, and I had a small headache, probably from InuYasha. "Well, well, well. What did you do this time?" Asked an old woman named Kaede. She was the nurse.

I smiled. "I got rammed by three girls and hit my head on a shelf."

"And you needed to go to me?" She gave me a look.

You see, I am a guardian. I go on patrols to protect The Chosen One, who happens to be a slutty cheerleader named Kikyo. I am the best guardian there is. Sango is a half-guardian, but she's stronger than normal guardians. They call on me to guard Kikyo because there are bad people called Souleaters. They want to come to power, and the only way to do that is to use The Chosen One. They would have to sacrifice her and take her soul, hence the name Souleater. I wouldn't mind sacrificing Kikyo, if it weren't for the fact that they would get enough power to destroy the world in one second.

Kaede has seen me in action. She's one of the elders that decide the schedule, and more important, they see who the Chosen One is. They've only been wrong once, and that was a long, long time ago.

"Was it that old Myoga?"

"No, we have two new kids, and the older one, Sesshomaru, suggested it."

"Ah, yes. I know of those two."

"So do all the girls in my class, or more like they know who their father is." I rolled my eyes.

"Ah, yes. A lot of girls in this school want to be rock stars or models."

"What does their father have to do with music or modeling?"

"He owns a record label and modeling agency. That's what those professions have to do with him." She laughed. "Now then, I'll write you a pass." She got a pencil out and wrote me a pass on one of those yellow pads. "Here you go. See you tonight."

"Thank you, and see you then." When I reported for a shift, I went to our headquarters, and then went over to Kikyo's mansion in a sketchy black van. Three people patrolled outside her house, while one person was inside, just wandering. Sango and I are the only two guardians that are her age, but they know we hate each other, so they don't dare put us in the same room for a few hours.

My shifts are normally long. The longer they are, the more threat the Souleaters pose to her, or the more activity we've picked up from them. Tonight my shift was from five to five, and then I barely had time for a small nap until I had to go to school the next morning. I know it's rough, but they pay me, and I like sling-shotting and momma needs ammo, and I was kind of born to do this, so yeah.

As I walk through the door, I see groups of people sitting together. I give Myoga my pass, and go sit next to Sesshomaru, and behind InuYasha. "Miroku, what are we doing?"

"Some partner activity. You want to be partners?"

"Why don't you ask Sango?" He winked at me. "No." He looked at me with a look that said 'really?'. "No."

"So whose partner are you going to be?"

"If she will have me, I would like to be her partner." I looked over at the person who said it.

"Sure, why not." Sesshomaru nodded. "What are we even doing?"

"We are supposed to do a history on ancient demons who stole the souls of the living, Souleaters as it were."

"Really?" I looked over at Sango, who was looking right back at me.

"Yes. Why, are you familiar with the topic?"

"Only a little." I smiled over at Sango who laughed.

"Alright Miroku, let's do this." Said InuYasha.

"Sorry my friend, I'm already spoken for. Sango here is my one and only."

"Then why did you ask Kagome not minutes ago?" Asked Sango, a little annoyed at his antics. I couldn't wait until I needed a favor from him that would be far-fetched, just so I could hold his little lie over his head.

Something hit me. "If this is Japanese, why are we doing history?"

"Just as sort of a beginning assignment." Said InuYasha. "Who am I supposed to pair up with then?"

"Well, Myoga said we could have a maximum of three people, so you could join Kagome and Sesshomaru." Said Miroku.

"Or not." I said.

"As much as I dislike this idea, since InuYasha and I live together, it would be less trouble getting together to work on it. How's tonight at seven, Kagome?"

"She has a previous engagement." Said InuYasha.

"And how do you know that, Yash?" Asked Miroku with a wicked smile on his face.

"I asked her out."

"You didn't ask me out."

"I so totally did. I asked you if you'd have dinner with me."

"You didn't say will you go on a date with me, so no you didn't ask me out."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Okay, will you go on a date with me?"

"Nope."

"There, now I've asked her out."

Miroku and Sango laughed at us. "Do you mind him latching on to us?" Sesshomaru asked me.

"If it's okay with you, it's okay with me." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Alright, runt, you're in Kagome's and my group. We'll talk about it tonight, get a small idea of what we're going to do, and we'll show you tomorrow, is that okay Kagome?"

"Good with me." I shrugged again. The bell rang, and everyone left. I was talking to Sango in the hall while we were at her locker.

"So, you left two professions their dad is into." I told her.

"Oh yeah, he does modeling and singing. Oh, maybe you should meet him!"

"Oh my gosh! I won't try!" I jumped up and down in fake excitement. "No way Sango, you know me and what I do. You do it too though."

"Yeah, only half the time though. And I'm nowhere near as good as you are." She got her book out of her locker and shut the door. "So, what time does it start?"

"Five."

"They're making you do a twelve-hour tonight? It's Wednesday, don't they care?"

"Only about Kikyo." I rolled my eyes.

"I swear they got it wrong again."

"So who do you think it is Sango?" I laughed.

"Anyone but her." She laughed too, and we went to physics, which has two new kids in it.

**End of the first chapter. Anyone get me trying to copy J.K. Rowling's Deatheaters with Souleaters? Yeah, that's how mean they're going to be, however, Lucious Malfoy is not one of them. Bye-bye.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Begin new Chapter. I do not own InuYasha.**

So, InuYasha is in almost all of my classes except two of them, math and history, and I have those with Sesshomaru. I have all classes with him except one, psychology, which I have with just InuYasha. Sango and I almost have all classes together, as do Miroku and I. Actually, Miroku and I have all classes together. When the bell released all of us from our free seventh, which all five of us have together, I went to my locker as fast as I could. It was 3:15, and I wanted to get a small nap in before I had to give it my all tonight for twelve hours.

I got my backpack filled with books, homework, and my-crap! Homework! I wouldn't have time to sleep tonight or after my shift because I'll be doing homework. I looked around the hallway. "Sango! Come here!" She ran over to me as fast as she could get around the crowd of home-bound students.

"What is it?"

"I just realized that I have homework, so I won't be able to sleep as much, so could you give me a ride in the morning so I don't go home and fall asleep?"

"Sure, what time do you want me at her house?"

"Seven. Can you come by before 4:45 tonight and leave my book-bag in your car?"

She gave me a smile. "Absolutely you can leave your stuff in my car. Do you want a ride home, and you want me to stay so I don't have to come back?"

"I'd love that. That way I don't have to run home. Or maybe I should, just for the practice."

She laughed. "I'll be sure to go slow just for you. Did you want to leave your backpack on for practice, you know, in case you have to run with her?"

"Oh please, I couldn't practice for that if I had an elephant." We both laughed at the mean joke. "But I do think I'll run, and you should slow down enough to keep up with me."

"Maybe you should slow down for me to keep up with you."

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, it's 3:20, and I need as much time as I can get." I smiled at her, and she smiled back. As we started to walk out the door, I heard someone call my name.

"Hey Kagome!"

"Crap, it's InuYasha, let's go. I don't have time to talk to him right now."

"Maybe you should tell him that?"

"Tell who what?" Said InuYasha from next to me.

"Tell you that I really don't have time to talk at all, and I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow though, kay?"

I didn't give him a chance to answer before I grabbed Sango's hand and led her out. She got in her car, and I put my bag in the backseat. I turned around to see if anyone was looking at me, but no one was, even though I had the odd feeling someone was.

As Sango pulled out of the space, I walked over to the sidewalk. As I was waiting for Sango to get there, Sesshomaru pulled up next to me. "What are you doing Kagome?"

"Waiting for Sango."

"Do you want a ride home?"

"No, thank you though. She has my bag."

"Are you talking to Kagome?" Sesshomaru's head was crushed by InuYasha. "I thought you didn't have time to talk."

A horn honked, it was Sango. "I don't. Sango's right there." I got a smirk on my face when I saw her sunglasses. I nodded, and she nodded back. I smirked bigger, and she held up three fingers and counted down to zero. When she held up her fist, I took off running. I ran past people and students walking on the side walk. Finally, tired of dodging people, I would rather dodge cars. I ran in front of Sango's car, not making her slow at all. The speed limit was 25, and I was able to run that fast on regular basis, but I was trying to keep it up.

InuYasha was then running next to me. "The hell are you doing? Is this why you didn't have time to talk to me?"

"Look, I have a busy schedule tonight, so I'll see you tomorrow, okay." I took the shortcut to my house, which involved me taking a sudden right. I lost him, but I knew that I didn't lose Sango. She was going to take the short way even if I didn't.

I got home before Sango got there. I jogged up my stairs, and Sango followed me with our bags. "Dang, that InuYasha is persistent, isn't he. He got out of his brother's car and ran with you. Why did you get off the sidewalk and run in front of me?"

"Because I didn't want to run on the sidewalk anymore. I was tired of dealing with people."

"So you wanted to mess with something that could kill you easy? If I'd had a twitch in my foot, I could've killed you."

"I would've been fine. I'm going to go change." I went upstairs and pulled out the drawer with my uniform out. I threw off my jeans and shirt and put on black leather pants, a long-sleeved, turtle-neck black shirt, pulled my hair into a high pony tail, with two pieces of hair hanging on either side of my face, and all-black Converse. Those are my fightin' shoes.

I jumped back down the stairs, to see Sango and my mom talking. "Hi sweetie! How was school? I hear you are in classes with the Takahashi kids."

"We both are. I have to patrol from five to five."

"Twelve hours, really, again?"

"Yeah. They can't help it. They need someone to protect her from the stupid Souleaters. I don't make the shifts."

"Yes, but Kaede does."

"Yeah, and she stood against it, but she was only one of two that did. The other eight, who don't work at a school, don't care about anyone but her. Maybe since Kikyo's _father_ is an elder, that might have something to do with why I have to do twelve-hours all the time."

"When did you find out?"

"After I left, but before first period."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Do you want to make me and Sango some food? Because I think you want to make us some food."

My mom smiled at me. "Of course I do. What do you want?"

"Anything."

"So, what is Sango's?"

"Mine is tomorrow for four hours. I have one to four."

"Oh hey, mine tomorrow is from twelve to five. We're patrolling together."

"Yes! We are bad-but together!" Sango didn't cuss in front of my mother, even though mom's told her it's okay. "So, do you want to work on your homework?"

"Homework? No, you need sleep."

"Mom, I'll get some coffee, Red Bull, Monster coffee, or 5-Hour Energy on the way. I'll be fine."

She looked concerned for me. My mom is the best. "Okay. I'll make you cafinated food, and I have some Dr. Pepper."

"Thanks mom, I owe you one."

"It's okay dear, just make sure you're safe tonight."

"Okay mom, I will." I got started on homework with Sango. First I started with physics, the hardest. I was just going to hope that Sesshomaru and InuYasha could handle working on the paper for Myoga's class.

I felt Sango looking over at me. "Hey, maybe you should sleep until your mom comes back with food. You're going to need as much sleep as you can get."

"Sango, I'll be fine. And plus, this homework is going to kill me. I know that Newton was a good dude, I do, but his first law is pissing me off. And why on earth are there so many units in a newton? I mean, why can't it just be a kilogram times a meter?"

Sango giggled a little. "You'll figure it out, it's your nature to be smart." She pushed me a little. "But seriously, you need sleep, even if it's only five minutes."

"Sango, I'm going to be fine, really. Oh, that reminds me, I have to make a phone call. Excuse me for a moment." I stood and called Ichijo. "Hey, do you mind if I move my leave time to seven and not five?"

"You cannot change when you come in, I know you wish-"

"No, go at five and leave at seven. Would that be okay?"

"You're going to be exhausted when you leave."

"Please Ichijo? It'll be more protection for her."

"Why are you really doing this?"

"So Sango can pick me up so I can do my homework in her car on the way to school."

He gave a sigh. "Fine. But I want you to promise me you'll sleep in your free period, I'll have Sango sign off on it."

"Okay, thank you. And I'll get as much sleep as possibly can."

"Good. Kagome, have I ever told you that you make me worry more than my own child did when she was your age."

I laughed a little. "Yes you did. Many times, actually."

"Good. Be safe tonight. There are high risks, so you'll be outside tonight. See you in an hour."

"Okay, see you then." I hung up. "I got him to extend my shift."

Sango's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You did what? To when?"

"Seven, when you're picking me up."

"But that means you'll have to be on your toes for longer time. No offence, but not even you can be pushed that far."

"It's nothing I haven't done before, remember?"

Last year, on Halloween, the Souleater's strongest time, I had to go nearly 48 hours guarding at my best with no food breaks, only two minutes to pee. Same as tonight.

She sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

Just then, my mom walked in with some pasta alfredo. "Mom I love you!" She made my favorite.

"I love you too Mrs. Higurashi!" Yelled Sango as she put the food in front of us. I chugged my Dr. Pepper, and nibbled at my pasta. "Kagome." Sango said my name with authority. "Eat. Now."

"After. Homework."

"Kagome, eat before you pull another last Tuesday."

Last Tuesday, I didn't eat before a ten-hour, and while facing off with a Souleater, he cut me and I passed out right as Sango came by. I picked up the fork and swallowed a big mouthful. "Better?"

"Yes." She was still deadpan.

"So, what do you think about using Newton's second law for this one?" And just like that, Sango and I were back on homework until twenty till five. Sango gave me a ride there, and promised not to be late.

**End chapter. If the beginning or end sound funny, I'm doing it for my use at home so I don't have to fight to remember where I wanted the end of a chapter to be. Sorry if it's weird, again, it's for my use.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter start. I do not own InuYasha.**

When I stepped into the big and clean room, Ichijo, Kaede and Kikyo's father were in there. "Hello Kagome. The first one here, like always." Said Kikyo's father. Kikyo's father was about fifty, had black hair with gray in it. A lot of gray hair from Kikyo. Like half of his head is gray.

"The others will arrive shortly." I stood in line as three twenty-somethings walked in the room.

Kikyo's father began to talk. "As you know, October is our worst month, and as the days go on, we will be calling you in more often. Now then, Nobanaga, you will be inside with my daughter. The rest of you will be outside. Outside, pick your weapons." Behind Kikyo's father, a door opened into the arsenal. I got a weapon belt to start, and so did the others. On my belt, there was my name, three knife holders, a sword ring, a gun pouch, and a nun-chuck clip. I filled all three knife holders, but nothing else. I grabbed a bow, and an arrow case with eleven arrows in it.

The rest of them filled all the slots, got cross-bows and staffs. If they have to run, they're going to have some trouble.

"Alright, everyone in the van." Said Kaede. The guardians and Kikyo's father got into the van.

When we arrived at the house, I noticed a familiar car parked down the way. I brushed it off though. I had a mission to do, and that's what I'm going to do. All of us went to the yard for our brief.

Patrolling is normally boring as hell, but Kikyo had a visitor tonight. All of us lined the walkway unseen, waiting for them to make the wrong move. Tonight though, Kikyo's visitors weren't her friends: it was Sesshomaru and InuYasha.

**End chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Begin chapter.**

What are Sesshomaru and InuYasha doing here? Kikyo met them at the door, wearing shorts that are too short, and she was falling out of her top in all ways possible. "Hello boys. I didn't expect you here so soon."

"Kikyo, we said five-thirty. It's five-thirty. Why wouldn't you expect us?" Asked Sesshomaru in his stoic voice.

Her face faltered. "I didn't expect InuYasha to be with you though."

"I told you I'd come by with him today." Said InuYasha in a tone similar to Sesshomaru's. I gave a small smirk. In your face Kikyo, two boys don't want you.

Once they went inside, Nobanaga went inside and we went around the grounds.

The night was mainly boring. Although at one point I got to chase a Souleater. He was watching Kikyo sleep at one-thirty in the morning. At six, I was finally starting to feel fatigue, a feeling I didn't like. It made me weak, not my best.

There was a snap in the woods. Of course it would be now. I ran to go check it, and sure enough, the _same_ Souleater from earlier. He saw me, but instead of running, he attacked me. I pulled a knife, but my work was beginning to become sloppy. When I stalled for a second, I slapped my cheek to wake myself up, and it worked.

He wrestled me to the ground, and was able to cut my arm, but I stabbed him in the gut.

Souleaters are not real people. They are demons.

Once his body was turned to dust, I radioed it in. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just a small cut."

"How about you take off this last hour. You're here by choice so you can leave."

"No, I'll be good. They won't send another." We both radioed off, and I climbed a tree. Sure fricking enough, _another_ Souleater showed up right under the tree I was in. I jumped down, knife in hand, and we fought each other. You must be wondering, 'you have a bow, why not use it?'. It's more fun to fight someone. He managed to bruise my thigh, but I killed him past my fatigue. I radioed it in again.

"Really? I'm sending Uma for you."

"I'll be fine dude."

I heard him sigh. "Fine. Only forty-five minutes left anyway."

"Okay, I'm out."

I waited until seven to return my weapons. Sango was right on time to pick me up, homework out on the seat, with some clothes for me. Blue jeans and a red graphic tee, cuter than InuYasha's though because I'm a girl. I got into those clothes, and put my other ones in Sango's car.

"Thank you so much!" I told her as I started on my homework.

"Here's a biscuit."

"Thanks, I'll get it later."

"What the hell happened to your arm!"

"Got cut by a Souleater." I was too focused on my homework to hear her. By the time we got to the school, I had all my homework done, even some notes on the Souleaters, but I didn't have time to eat or sleep. I'd do it in first.

Sango and I walked into the school together. "So, Sesshomaru and InuYasha were at Kikyo's house last night, but neither of them looked too happy about it."

"I wonder what that's about."

"Partner stuff in classes we don't have with them."

"That would explain it, wouldn't it."

"Yeah it would." Sango got her stuff out of her locker. "You feeling okay?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm good. I'm sure I'm fine, I will be fine. Let's go to class." I drug her back to Myoga's class, where Sesshomaru was looking very unhappy, and InuYasha was looking miserable. "What's your problem?" I asked to whichever one wanted to answer.

"We went over to Kikyo's house, and we both hate her." Said Sesshomaru.

"She's so slutty. I hate having a project with her." Said InuYasha. "She left the work for me and Sesshomaru. I mean, why does she think she can do that?"

"She's probably been told that she doesn't have to work because she's perfect. She's a cheerleader, calm down." I told InuYasha.

"She was on her cell phone the whole time, talking and trying to fall out of her top even more than she was." Sesshomaru shuddered while remembering it. "I couldn't help, though, feeling like someone was watching us. I thought I saw someone running by me when I was leaving." My phone buzzed.

** It wasn't you, was it? –Sango.**

** No, I wasn't near them when they left, I don't even know when they left. They put me toward the back and left side the most. –Kagome.**

** Okay. Just checking. –Sango.**

"So sorry, just a small issue being resolved, continue."

"There's nothing more to tell. Sadly, we took so long there, we didn't have time to come up with notes on the Souleaters."

"Don't worry, I did some of it. It isn't much, but it's a little something." I shrugged my shoulders and handed Sesshomaru the notes I took.

"This is impressive. How much time did you spend on this?"

"About ten minutes. Why?"

"This is astonishing for ten minutes."

"Now you've got him started. Why did she have to be so smart?" Said InuYasha.

"What?"

"I went on a research adventure once, just me and a library. This is as impressive if not more than what I did."

"Sesshomaru, I don't think she's ready to marry you. I don't think she wants to marry you. No one does."

I laughed a little. "That's mean."

"Have you met my half-brother yet?" Those two started playfully bickering together. Myoga walked in.

"I hope you started a little on your papers last night, because I want to see what you did. Everyone, pass up what you did." I walked up to Myoga with my paper and handed it to him. He looked at it and his eyes went wide. "Kagome, this is wonderful. Good job."

"Thank you, but it was Sesshomaru and InuYasha who helped me." I turned a little and winked.

"Well, I can't wait to read your paper." I nodded and went back to my desk.

"Thank you." Said Sesshomaru.

"Why did you do that?" Asked InuYasha.

"Just because I'm a fantastic person."

InuYasha rolled his eyes at me. I felt my phone go off, but I was going to wait to check it until after class.

I went with Sango to her locker. I almost fell over from sleep deprivation. I remembered to check my phone.

**We need you to come from 5pm to 7am again. Sorry about this. Remember to get as much sleep as you can. –Ichijo.**

"Damn." I wanted to sink to the ground but I didn't.

"What is it?" Asked Sango.

"My shift got changed to a fourteen-hour, five to seven."

"What? They can't do that, can they?"

"I had two run-ins with some Souleaters, so they want to make sure she's protected."

"But what happens when you're killed because of fatigue? You have to stop doing this to yourself. They can't do this."

"It's Ichijo, so it's okay."

"No, it isn't. I will not continue if you're hurt or killed."

I gave her a look. "Sango, who do you think you're talking to?"

She shrugged while putting her book in her locker and trading it for another. "Just in case. Not even you can outrun being tired and getting sloppy. Tonight, you will ignore homework and sleep, just like in seventh."

Whenever we talked about this stuff, we whisper. "Okay." I was going to sink to the ground, but Sango shut her locker and we left.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay? You seemed tired in first."

I turned to look at InuYasha. "Didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Doing homework. Physics, not Japanese." I smiled brightly to show him I wasn't tired.

He looked like he believed me. "Okay. Sleep tonight though."

I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. "Okay, will do."

He smiled at me. I looked over to Sango who was holding back from laughing. We arrived at physics, and I turned my homework in like we were supposed to, and the day went on until lunch.

I laid my head down on our table, which was in the back. I almost fell asleep until a hand slammed down next to my head. I shot my head up to face Kikyo.

"Stay away from my InuYasha and my Sesshomaru."

"No."

"Do it."

"What are you going to do if I don't, because I know that you know what I can do to you, don't you." She knows that I could let a Souleater in her room to kill her, and with Halloween coming up so soon she knows what danger she's in. I smirked. "You're not in a position to tell me what to do." I looked over at Sango who was rushing over here. "And Sango's coming now, so you'd better leave."

She turned around and slutted back to her table. "What was that about?"

"She wants me to stay away from InuYasha and Sesshomaru or else." We both laughed. Until Sango looked at the empty space in front of me.

"Kagome, you need to eat."

"Trust me, I need to sleep more than I need food." Laid my head back down and drifted off.

I gentle hand was rubbing my shoulder, a voice calling my name. "Kagome, wake up Kagome." I opened my eyes and became more alert to my surroundings. I don't snore or drool, I just sleep. I was met with InuYasha's golden eyes. "Good morning, sunshine. I knew you were tired, but I didn't know you were this tired. How late did you stay up last night?"

"A long time." I sat up. "What time is it?"

"The bell will ring in a few seconds." Sure enough, the bell rang right after he shut his mouth. I stood up, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Hey, be careful."

I rolled my eyes and shoved his arm off of me. "I just woke up from a nap, not a coma." I walked ahead to the class without Sango, which is fifth. One more class after that and I can take another nap.

Class went by and InuYasha and Sesshomaru and Miroku didn't stop asking me if I was okay. I kept telling them that I was. I can't wait to get into seventh and sleep.

I hate karma. I now cannot sleep in seventh. My history teacher gave us so much homework, I won't be able to do it all in the short time I have to do my homework, and then I have physics, which is killer, then my stupid math and psychology teachers loaded us too. Then I have to go for so long without sleep or food.

I started to feel bad. I could taste bile in the back of my throat. I asked my seventh period teacher if I could go to the bathroom, but I couldn't hear his response because I was out the door and in the girls' room, throwing up the lunch I didn't eat. I didn't throw much, but it still made me feel like crap. Sometimes when I think about my job and what comes with it, I throw up from the stress. I'm under the most of it, so Sango doesn't throw up because of it.

When I walked back in, my teacher came up to me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just my visit if you know what I mean."

"Okay. Take it easy okay. You seem pale."

"I will, thank you."

I went back to my seat next to Sango. "What happened." She said it as a statement. "Is it what I think it is?"

"Can I talk to you about it later?" She realized that it wasn't just Miroku listening anymore.

"Yeah. Hey, do you want to do what we did yesterday?"

"Sure."

"Okay, but could you ride in the car and not run this time?"

"It would be best if I ran. It increases my strength."  
"Okay. Well, you should go to sleep then."

"I can't. Too much homework and I won't get it done."

"Ouch. I don't care. Sleep."

"I like my grade in the first two letters in the alphabet, thank you. I slept at lunch-"

"So you didn't eat."

I noticed Sesshomaru starting to pay more attention to us. "We'll talk about this later, okay. Just trust me, I know what I'm doing."

She gave me a look. "Okay, fine." She rolled her eyes at me. "You owe me."

"Don't start counting now. I already have math to do." I laughed and she did too. I got started on my homework and helped InuYasha a little on a history project, the one he has with Kikyo. I have the same one, but I'm doing it alone, so it helped me too.

"I owe you. This means I don't have to go over to Kikyo's house."

"That's nice, but I still have to go over tonight for a sociology thing." He looked to me with puppy eyes.

"No, no and no. I can't help you. I have enough to do tonight."

"Please! I will pay you."

I sighed. "Only ten minutes."

"With as much as you do in ten minutes and I do in ten minutes, we can do this and I won't have to go to Kikyo's house."

"Whatever. Give me your book." I was so used to going through books to find information about Souleaters, so I was used to going through faster than normal people. He told me about the subject and I found so much in ten minutes, Sesshomaru said that he could finish the project if he wanted to.

"I think I'll go over to Kikyo's tonight to trick her. Bring these notes, and then give her an ultimatum."

"Will she feel threatened?"

"I don't think so. Why?"

"Because I happen to know that her father keeps her heavily guarded, and one wrong move you could be dead. Not that you're not a fantastically strong demon and what not, but trust me."

He nodded. "Thank you for that. And thanks for the information on Kikyo." He winked at me and I rolled my eyes.

When the bell rang, I flew out of my chair and to my locker. I would be fine for patrolling tonight. I met Sango at my locker, gave her my book-bag and ran home like yesterday. When I got home, I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and changed into the same thing as last night, but it was a different set.

I ran back downstairs to see an expectant Sango. "What happened when you left?"

"I threw up in the bathroom. Not much, just a little, it's fine."

"And why didn't you eat at lunch?"

"I wanted to get more sleep, and it's a good thing I did. I can eat here, I can't sleep though." I went in the kitchen to make some more food. I texted my mom to tell her that I'd be gone by the time she got here, and I told her my schedule for tonight. She's not happy, but she understands.

"Do you know how many texts InuYasha and Sesshomaru have sent me, asking me if you're okay? InuYasha is really interested in you." Her phone buzzed. "I swear they hate me. You say you get too much action,-"

"Whoa, I do not get too much action."

"I don't get enough. They don't need me tonight."

"Yeah, because they have me, no offence to you, but to them." I started on some homework and downed a dose of 5-Hour Energy, along with some Monster brand coffee. Sango laughed at me.

"We need you to be awake for all the time, and _not_ crash on duty please. I don't want you to die by Souleaters. Wait, Sesshomaru might get some useful information for that report." We both laughed at the joke.

"Funny Sango, really funny. But not as funny as your funny-looking face." We kept laughing.

"Will you pick me up and drop me off again? I will give you gas money."

"Keep your money, I want to make sure you're alright." She smiled at me.

"Okay, sis." We often thought of each other as sisters. "Let's get going then." The same thing went down this night as did last night. I killed two of the Souleaters again, but both of them cut me, one on the cheek.

The night went by without much else. I got into Sango's car after I brushed my teeth and changed. "What the hell happened to your face!"

"Nice to see you too, and I got cut by one of those blasted Souleaters. I hate those things." I wrote an equation down for my math homework.

"I can understand. And eat, I know you won't at lunch."

"I will. Besides, I don't have to go on duty tonight." My phone buzzed when we got into the school and Sango was at her locker. "No! I have to go _again_ for another twelve-hour!" I started to sink to the floor but someone picked me up bridal style.

"Kagome!" I recognized InuYasha's voice.

I opened my eyes. "InuYasha, I'm fine."

"Then why were you passing out?" His voice was worried and hard at the same time.

"I wasn't, I was just sliding down the lockers." I noticed I was still above the ground. "Can you put me down please?"

He let me down. "Why're you sliding down the lockers?"

"I'm tired."

"Again? Do you have sleeping issues?"

"No, I have perfection homework is what my problem is. I spent a while working on math and history."

"Why would you torture yourself over homework? It's a grade."

"No, it's my grade, that's the difference."

"Wow, you care so much."

"I do care about my future."

"If you keep on doing this you won't have a future. When was the last time you ate?"

"Last night when she got home from school." Piped Sango.

"How do you know?"

"Because I was with her when she ate, duh."

"I knew that."

We were in the classroom by now. "Kagome, I did some research on the paper. With the time you saved me, I was able to get all the research we need for it."

"Thanks, I appreciate it more than you know."

"She's killing herself over homework."

"Better than you, who will kill homework by eating it."

"That was a dog joke, yo." Said Miroku.

Just then, Kikyo came in. "Hey Sesshomaru, InuYasha, you didn't come by for the project. What gives?"

"You wouldn't help us with it anyway, so Kagome helped us, and now we don't need you. We'll get good scores."

"Kagome helped you?" Sesshomaru, why would you say that.

"Yes. Without her, we couldn't have done it."

"No, no you could've done it alone, trust me."

"How nice of you Kagome." She looked at me with a look of hate.

She leaves the room, in five minutes, I get a text that says I'm patrolling tonight from four to seven.

When class lets out, I follow Sango. "That skank got her dad to get me on patrol for fifteen hours."

"What! Fifteen?"

"Yeah, from four to seven."

"That bitch. If I kill her now, you won't need to protect her will you?"

"No, and I can be normal. I'm going to sleep during lunch."

"Hey, do you want me to do some of your homework for you?"

"No, that would be cheating and I don't want that. I know someone who can help me with my problem." I left before Sango got her locker door shut. I then texted a drug dealer, Koga.

**Hey, I need a favor. –Kagome.**

** What favor, babe? –Koga.**

** Stop calling me babe, and I need some of those pills that keep you awake, you got any? –Kagome.**

** That's some pretty serious stuff there, Kags, why do you need it? –Koga.**

** You got them or not? –Koga.**

** Depends, what will you give me for them? –Koga**

** What do you want? –Kagome.**

** A date. –Koga.**

** Where, when. –Kagome.**

** Saturday, the park, and around noon so I can make you food. –Koga.**

** I'm doing stuff on Saturday. Does today at lunch work at least a little? –Kagome.**

** Hey, I'll take what I can get, and yeah. –Koga.**

** When will you have the pills? –Kagome.**

** I can have them by four. –Koga.**

** Can you have them by 3:55? –Kagome.**

** Yeah. –Koga.**

** Bring them to my house by 3:55 latest please. –Kagome.**

** You got it Kags. What do you need them for? –Koga.**

** Let's just say I need more hours in the day to get stuff done. –Kagome.**

** Okay, I get the hint. I'll see you tonight. –Koga.**

** I owe you one Koga. –Kagome.**

By the time I finished that conversation, class was almost over.

"Wow, Kagome texted through the whole thing." Said InuYasha

"I'll be able to catch up later." My voice was hard and cold. I know what I was doing, but I need to stay awake.

"You okay? You seem freaked out." Asked InuYasha.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Who were you texting?" Asked Sango, even though she knew.

"Bankotsu, why?"

"Sure, Kagome, sure. You sure it wasn't Koga?"

"Of course it wasn't Koga. She'd never even look at that oaf." Said InuYasha.

"Then why is she having a lunch date with him."

"I am. Sorry."

"Why would you talk to him?" InuYasha asked me. "He's not a good person. He does drugs."

"He sells them, he doesn't do them. And I need a favor, and this is the only way he's do it."

"Fine, but I'm going to be the chaperone."

"No, InuYasha, you're not. I'll be fine."

"Can I spy?"

"Sure, why not. Doesn't matter what I say, you'd do it anyway."

He nodded his head and rose his eyebrows. "You have a point there. I can't help it, I'm addicted to helping you."

We all laughed. Class was over and we were headed to our third period class. "Thanks, but I think I can handle myself against Koga."

"Sure you can." Said InuYasha as he was turning a hallway for his next class.

"Really though, why do you need to talk to Koga?" Asked Sango when Sesshomaru went to talk to a girl named Rin.

"I need some sleeping pills to keep me awake, okay. It'll only be a one-time thing. I'll stop using them as soon as my schedule is less horrible, okay."

She looked worried. "Fine, but if it continues, I'm sending you to rehab or worse: I'll tell InuYasha."

"Please don't tell anyone about this, especially InuYasha, would you?"

"I won't, but why not just beat her up? Can I beat her up?"

"Beat who up, Sango?" Asked Kikyo from next to us. "Did you get father's text Kagome?"

"Yeah, I did, thank you for that."

"I can't help it. I just feel better knowing you're outside rather than Sango." Kikyo looked over at Sango with a look of disgust. "See you at four to seven Kagome." She smirked at me and started to walk away. I started to go after her, but someone wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Let's try not to get into a fight, shall we?" Asked Sesshomaru from behind me. I was too tired to argue. Into third we went. It was going to be a long day.

I have my lunch date with Koga now. He was sitting at a table next to mine. I gave him a funny look. "Why are you sitting so close to my table?"

"The mutt asked me to nicely, InuYasha that is. I've never heard him ask nice before, so I figured why not. So, how are you doing? You look really bad, no offence. Do you want to sleep?"

"I'll sleep later."

"Not with what I'm getting you. When will you sleep?"

"Seventh."

"If you need these pills as much as you say you do, then one period of rest won't be enough for you. You should sleep now."

"I told you that I'd be here on this date-thing with you, so here I am."

He smiled at me. "I may want to go on a date with you, but I care more for your safety then me talking to you. I need to make sure you're safe in order to talk to you. Come here." I stood and sat in the chair he pulled out for me. He turned me to where my back was facing his chest. "Try to sleep in this awkward position." I could hear the smile in his voice.

I feel bad that he's letting me sleep when he wanted a date. Either way I drifted off in no time.

I awoke to Koga shaking me awake. "Wake up. Bell's gonna ring soon. You're cute when you sleep, did you know that?" I giggled, but it was cut off by a growl from a table over. InuYasha was glaring at Koga.

"Calm down InuYasha. Thank you. So, I'll see you later, yes?"

He nodded and the bell rang. I hugged him and then was on my way to class. "The hell do you mean you'll see him later?" Yelled InuYasha.

"What I said, I'll see him later."

"Why. What does he have on you?"

"Nothing, I just called in a favor, that's all."

He gave me a funny look. "You're not doing drugs, are you?"

"No, why? Are you?"

"No, I just would like to know what this favor is of yours that you're calling in." He raised his eyebrows at me.

"It's nothing bad I promise." Cross my fingers.

"It had better not. I'm the bad one in this friendship."

"I don't think you know who I am at all if you think you're worse than I am. I'll make you cry so fast it'll make your head hurt."

"Well, doesn't crying make your head hurt?"

I laughed. "Nope. It all depends on how much you cry." I smiled a little as we walked to our fifth period.

I actually got to sleep in my free period today. Maybe I didn't need those pills after all. InuYasha made me sit on the floor. He sat against the wall and I sat in between his legs, my back facing his chest. It was more comfortable then with Koga, but Koga and I were in chairs. My hands were in front of me and InuYasha was holding them, his chin on the top of my head. I fell asleep before he finished saying 'goodnight'.

Again, for the second time that week, I woke up to InuYasha rubbing my shoulder. "Good morning sunshine. Sleep well?" His voice was soft.

"Mmhmm." I was warm. I hadn't been warm in such a long time. He got up from behind me and picked me up and sat me in a chair.

"Do you want a ride to your house or do you want to run?" Asked Sango.

"I think I'll run. I need to wake up." The bell ran and I ran to my locker. I handed my stuff off to Sango and ran home. It took me a little longer than normal, but I just woke up, and by the end, I'd all but woken up and gotten up to speed. I ran upstairs, did the same thing as yesterday, took a shower and brushed my teeth, and got dressed faster. At 3:54, Koga knocked on my door.

"Come up to my room." I led him upstairs to my room, got into my cash box and got him $100. "Whoa, Kagome, even if this were a street sale I wouldn't charge this much."

"Well, I owe you one, so here." I shoved the money in his hand and took the bottle from him. I didn't give him the opportunity to give the money back before I escorted him and Sango out and Sango took me. I took two pills which is what he said to do, even though the bottle says three. I felt awake and ready for anything, and I fought like I was ready for anything that night.

Five Souleaters came for her. Whenever they come I'm always on duty. Everyone else complains that they don't get to do anything, but they all come when I'm here. I killed all five, although one of them did knock me out for ten minutes. It was the third one, thank you.

When Sango picked me up she all but forced me to eat before she left. "So, how was it?"

"Got knocked out once by the third one that came, but I killed the other four with no scratch. I killed all five, but the third one knocked me out." I popped two more pills in my mouth.

"Kagome I think that's enough with the pills." She held her hand out.

"Sango, that's all he gave me. I only asked him for four. I took two before I left and two just now. I'll sleep tonight, and I can't wait."

"But it's Friday. You're supposed to party on Fridays girl."

"I will party, in my dreams." I worked on my homework for the rest of the ride there. We got into the school, and InuYasha came to me.

"How's the tired Kagome?"

"Not so tired, thank you very much."

He faked a look of shock. "Kagome isn't tired? What?" I stuck my tongue out at him. He ran at me and lifted me up by the waist and spun me around.

"Not the best idea in the world right now InuYasha. Please." He slowed and put me back down.

"You okay? What happened?"

"She just got knocked out last night for ten minutes." Said Sango matter-of-factly.

He looked at me. "What were you doing last night? And what did Koga want?"

"Again, Halloween."

He rolled his golden eyes. "Every time I ask you a question, it's always Halloween."

"Maybe if you would wait until Halloween, you'd find out."

We went to class and started working on the research paper. Some of the facts Sesshomaru found were inaccurate, and I asked him where he's gotten them from. He said a website and showed me.

"How do you know so much about this?"

"I know a lot about monsters."

"You're friends with him, how could you not." InuYasha was pointing at Miroku.

"Miroku is a perv, not a monster. And they don't just suck the soul, they breath the soul. Until the Chosen One comes along to grant them eternal life and blah, blah. Whatever."

"No, I didn't see anything about the chosen one on the internet, but I saw a little mention of it in a book I was reading."

"You see, the Chosen One's Soul must be pure and holy for the Souleaters to be granted immortality. If they choose the wrong person to sacrifice, the Souleaters that take part in the ceremony would die and the soul would be brought back to life. However, they have the gift to see who the Chosen One is, so they will never get it wrong. They are not easily manipulated, but organized."

"This is amazing. How do you know so much?" Asked a dumbfounded Sesshomaru.

"I told you; I have my sources."

"Could we take a look at these sources?"

"No. It is strictly forbidden."

"Then how come you can?" Asked InuYasha.

"My father used to bring the books home from his work and read them to me. I know about ghouls too."

"Yes, because a story about something that breathes your soul out of your body is a great bedtime story." Said InuYasha with sarcasm.

"Hey, she has more information on this than we could've come up with together, shut up."

"No, it's fine. He was crazy."

"We're thankful he did. We are so acing this paper." Said InuYasha while fist-bumping the air. After that we got working on the paper.

After class, I went with Sango to her locker. "Sesshomaru and InuYasha and I almost have the paper all the way done." My phone buzzed. Today was supposed to be a day off. "I hate Kikyo's father, or rather Kikyo. "They called me in for another twelve tonight."

Sango's mouth dropped open. "They did what? No, they can't do that! I was going to surprise you tonight with Miroku, InuYasha and Sesshomaru and a movie-marathon!"

"You were going to do what now?" My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

"You've done so much for those two, I knew they'd go. You deserve a night off tonight. I'll take it."

I sighed. "No, I need to do this. I'm not weak, I can handle it."

"Don't they need you on Saturday too?"

"Yeah, at night, so I'll sleep during the day."

Sango shook her head. "Remember, you told my mom that you'd help her set up for Saturday night?"

I turned around and banged my head against the wall of lockers. "Why?" A hand grabbed my neck. I chopped the hand off, grabbed the wrist and flipped InuYasha on the lockers. "Why is it whenever I get violent at school, it's always you?"

"Don't kill your brain cells, we need you."

"Oh, and thanks for telling me about your surprise visit tonight, which has been postponed just so you know."

I let him go and he turned around. "How did you know about that? Sango said your boss had been calling you in on ridiculous hours and that's how you were staying up all night with homework."

"Well, he's calling me in again tonight on less ridiculous hours.

"Even though the hours are still ridiculous."

"I didn't say they weren't, just less than the past two nights." I shrugged my shoulders. I needed to ask Koga for four more pills.

I texted him and asked him if he had four more and he said sure, but that I should really not take any. I told him that I'd be fine to take a few more. We weren't doing the same thing with lunch, but he was going to drop by tonight at six.

Wait! My shift started at seven and went to seven!

"Sango, my shift starts at seven."

Her eyes brightened up. "InuYasha, Miroku, Sesshomaru, we can still do it, but she has to leave at six-forty five. Do you guys want to do it?"

"I'm all in for it." Said InuYasha.

"Sure, why not." Said Miroku. Everyone was all in for going to my house tonight.

"Just so you guys know, Koga will be by at six to drop something off, but he's leaving right after."

InuYasha's eyes got hard. "What is he dropping off?"

"None of your business. Will it be a problem if he comes and leaves?"

He sighed. "I guess not." Miroku and Sesshomaru just nodded their heads to say they don't care. "Can I come over right after school?" Asked InuYasha.

"Sure, I don't see a problem with it. Everyone can come whenever."

"Okay, I'll stop by at home for a minute and then go." Said Miroku. Sango was coming right over and so was InuYasha, but Sesshomaru was going to go home for about thirty minutes, and Miroku was going to stop by his house for a minute and then coming over. I don't know what Sango's planning, and I almost don't want to.

"Sango, what is that smile for?" I asked.

"I had stuff planned and now I might have enough time to do it."

"What do you have planned?" Knowing Sango, I wasn't going to make it to patrolling tonight.

After school, I met Sango at the door and gave her my bag. "Hey Sango, could you take mine too?" Asked InuYasha. "I'd like to run with Kagome." InuYasha smirked at me.

"You mean you want to race Kagome." Said Sango.

"Yeah, I do want to race her." He rolled his eyes. "I would actually have to try in order to beat her."

"Thank you, InuYasha. Now what's the real reason you want to run with me?"

He shrugged. "You went in the street last time you ran."

He didn't lie there. "When was the last time you saw me run home?"

"Yesterday. Why don't you take gym, you'd be so good at it."

"I just don't like gym. I'm a junior so I don't have to take it. Are you taking gym?"

"No. I don't play well with others. You know, team games and crap." He shrugged nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Of course you don't."

When we got outside, InuYasha went to where I was the first time Sesshomaru pulled up next to me. "You wouldn't win this race. You have to follow me to get to my house."

"Nope. Sango told me where you live, and at nine last night, I stopped by and you weren't there."

"How do you know I wasn't there?"

"I smelled your scent there, but it was weak and not strong, so you left at around four." He shrugged again.

"That's a bit stalker, isn't it?"

InuYasha just laughed. "Let's do this." We both got into starting positions, and when we saw Sango look at us funny and roll her eyes at us, we took off running. I ran as fast as I could for a while and InuYasha looked like he was trying hard not to fall behind.

When we finally got to my house, we were both breathing hard. Sango pulled up five minutes later.

"Damn, you two could be track stars." She shook her head. "So, are you ready for this? I told your mom about tonight, but she says that she has to go to a dinner meeting so you won't see her until tomorrow."

"Whoa, tomorrow? You're leaving at six-thirty and you won't see your mom until tomorrow? What kind of work do you do? You don't sell your body, do you? Oh wait, then you'd have more money than me." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Should I take that as a compliment or an insult? He called me a rich prostitute." I looked at Sango who was laughing.

"You could take it either way."

"How would you take it?"

"I think I'd take it as a compliment."

"Why! He would be calling you a whore!"

"But a _rich_ whore. There's a difference. A poor whore is ugly, a wealthy whore is pretty, a rich whore is striking, but a whore that has more money than InuYasha is downright beautiful. So if InuYasha called me a whore that has more money than him I'd take it as a compliment."

"It could also mean you have more sex appeal." Said InuYasha knowingly and nodded his head.

"I'm no longer talking about being a whore with more money than InuYasha." I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"You should take that as a compliment then. It means you're beautiful. But Sango is the richest whore in all the world." Said Miroku.

"So you think I'm a whore?" Said Sango, who was becoming annoyed.

"But you said that-"

"It only works for InuYasha because Kagome laughed about it. You are a pervert so you can't pull it off." Sango looked like she was going to kill him.

"Sango, take it easy. Let's just go inside to see what evil you wanted me to do." I led her inside and went up to my room. I noticed something different.

My window was open. I didn't leave my window open before I left.

I got on the phone with my mom. "Hey mom, did you open my window last night?"

"No sweetie, why? Did something happen?"

"Hmm, no. Sango opened it before we left. Sorry about that. Love you bye." I didn't want my mom to think I was in danger. "Sango, how did my window get open?" I was starting to worry. Last year, close to Halloween, Souleaters broke into some of our guardians' homes.

"No. I thought you or your mom left it open."

"Search my room for anything out of place or anything that's missing. No wait, go downstairs and stall them. They'll get worried. I'll stay up here."

"Okay. Be careful." She turned and left and closed the door behind her and I tore my room apart. Or rather, just my bed. There was a note under my pillow. It was in a black envelope and the note's color was orange.

Dear Kagome,

Hello. You have impressed us with your ability to kill off so many of us. We know of your dislike, and the other girl Sango's dislike of Kikyo. We know all of you over there think she's spoiled.

Allow us to help the situation.

If you give her to us, you and Sango will never again have to put up with her. Just bring her to the clearing tonight at midnight. Please, we do not wish to harm you anymore than we already have.

Just think about it. You could have the man Kikyo wants, that InuYasha and Sesshomaru and not have her harass you about it. You two, whichever one you choose, could live together and love each other and never have to worry about her getting in the way.

We would also love to have you, Kagome, on our side. Knowing that you will show this letter to Sango and Ichijo, we know they will read this.

You are a brilliant fighter, even when you do not sleep or eat. Just know this: one day, you cannot be there with Kikyo at all times. You are their strongest, but they don't appreciate you.

We would. We would shower you with our affection. Please, hand over yourself and Kikyo. You can watch her die, and gain immortality.

Just something to think about.

From, Naraku.

Well shit. This isn't going to end up well with me. I took off down the stairs and tripped on the last six, but back-flipped and landed on my feet. "Sango! We need to talk outside. NOW."

We ran outside and I shoved the note at her. As she read, her eyes got wide. "Do they really think you'll do it?"

"Either way, if this Naraku person will be there tonight it's the perfect opportunity to take him down. Stay here with them while I go get Ichijo."

"What are you going to do? Kagome you are not going to use yourself as bait for them!"

"I'm not. Go, I need to go tell Ichijo about it. He needs all his good guardians tonight."

InuYasha came outside. "Everything okay out here? You're starting to make worry."

I took a second to calm my face. "Yeah, we're good. We're just trying to calm Sango down from the Miroku thing, nothing more." I smiled, but he didn't believe me.

"Okay. Well, Sesshomaru is here, so we can get started."

"Sure thing, we'll be in in a second." He nodded and went back inside. "I can't stay. Go in and I'll try to. I have some phone calls to make." She nodded and went back inside. I first called Koga.

"Can you be here in the next five minutes? Just you and six pills this time."

"Yeah. I'll be there soon. Do you mind if I run?"

"Yeah. Do you know where my backyard is?"

"I do, I'll be there soon."

"Thank you." I hung up and called Ichijo. "Hey, they left me a note under my pillow trying to get Kikyo _and_ they want me to join them."

"I'll be in your backyard in two minutes." I hung up the phone, note in hand, ran upstairs past everyone's eyes, got more money out my box for Koga and jumped down my now open window into my backyard.

Ichijo and Koga got there at the same time. I handed Koga the money and he gave me the bottle. He tried to fight me, but I told him I was in a hurry this time. He gave me one last look, but left. I then handed the note off to Ichijo. He read it and remained calm.

"We need you to stay at Kikyo's tonight, do you understand. Do not go off tonight and try to handle this yourself."

"Here's the thing. They want me, I'll pass it off like I want to know them before anything else happens. Get your best tonight. I think Sango will be okay. I might be able to get some demons with Kikyo tonight. I have to do this."

"I cannot let you try this. You are like a daughter to me, Kagome. What if they try something?"

"Then I will too. You've trained me to the best of your ability. I can handle myself, okay. I got this, I know what I'm doing here."

He gave a sigh. "Fine, but I want Sango with you tonight when you go."

"No. They'll bring more people tonight and they'll know something's up if I bring her. You did not read that note, okay." I didn't take the note when he handed it back. "Keep the same number of people, but make them your best." He gave me a look. "Okay, so your second, third and fourth best." He nodded and turned.

"Tell Sango she is needed tonight. She will be inside with Kikyo." I nodded.

"I'll do it." I went back inside. "Sango, they need you tonight. InuYasha, Sesshomaru, can I talk to you guys?"

They didn't say anything as the followed me outside. I made sure my bottle was secured inside my pocket where it wouldn't make any noise. "Can you guys go to Kikyo's tonight after I leave? She just called me. She said something about having a draft of sorts ready."

Sesshomaru was the first to speak. "If she is willing to apologize then I will think about it."

InuYasha was next. "I'd rather spend that time cutting my eyes out and mailing them to Miroku." So he's a no.

"I'll ask her if she will apologize. I'm sure she will." He nodded and went back inside where Sango was going to kill Miroku if someone didn't step in. InuYasha stayed.

"Why do you want us to go to Kikyo's?"

"So she'll stop bugging me about you two. She wants in your pants most, InuYasha."

"So Sesshomaru will go. Hey, do you want a ride to where you're leaving me for?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "No, Sango's going tonight too, so I think I'll be good."  
"Okay, if you're sure." I nodded. He kept looking at me funny. He stepped forward and pulled me into a bear hug. I hugged him back.

"InuYasha?"

"I know you're hiding something from me. I know you'll tell me about it later, but that doesn't mean I'm not scared for you."

"I'm fine, I can-"

"Do _not_ say the phrase 'I can handle it', because Kagome you can get it done and get it done well, but you can't handle it. You look tired. I know you have pills in your pocket. I went spy and I saw Koga give you those pills. I don't know what they are, but I do know that he wasn't happy giving them to you. I'm not happy about you getting them."

"InuYasha, I know what I'm doing."

"Just tell me one thing. Are you an addict?"

"What? No. Are you?"

"Only making sure you're okay." He nuzzled his face into my hair. "Be careful. This job of yours seems unhealthy." He held me tighter.

"I always am." My phone rang. He loosened his hold on me so I could answer it. "Hello."

Kikyo's father wanted me there before my time. "That would look bad. I want you to ignore that thing and let me take care of it. Ichijo and I are fixing it as we speak. Has he told you the plan?"

"Yes, but I want my daughter protected and you're our best."

"Okay, so when I pass out from working twelve hours, doing homework, going to school, you know when I haven't had sleep, I can't do that the right way."

I heard him sigh. "I suppose you're right."

"Let me handle this. I know what I'm doing. Sango will be there too, so it'll be fine. Trust me." If you think InuYasha's hearing what Kikyo's dad is saying, he can't. My phone has an enchantment on it whenever someone from the elders calls me.

We hung up and I put my phone back into my pocket. "What was that about?"

"Work stuff. He wants me to come in earlier."

"Hell no you're not. You are going to stay here until you and Sango have to go and you're going to have a fucking good time too."

"Alright then, let's go. I'm going to change now so I don't have to leave you early." I smiled and went upstairs to change into my normal uniform.

I came back downstairs and Sango had changed into hers as well, her hair in a tight bun. "What happened to the Sango-Tail?"

"It didn't want to come out today." She smiled and shrugged. I laughed and sat on a free spot on my couch, leaving InuYasha. He made do though. Meaning he picked me up, sat in my spot and put me in his lap.

"Really?" I asked him. "Why?"

"There was nowhere else to sit, so I chose your spot."

"I was in my spot."

"Now we're both in your spot. Just shut up and let's watch this movie." I rolled my eyes and directed my eyes to the movie that Sango brought. She also had popcorn and InuYasha took a handful of it and crammed it in my mouth. I shoved his hand away from my mouth, and held the other wrist. "You either let me feed you this popcorn by hand or I'll feed you by mouth."

"Well I eat by my mouth, so yeah."

He rolled his eyes, got a Twizzler in his mouth, you know, a short one, and leaned in. I kept my mouth shut, but stupid Miroku next to me got both of my hands in one of his and opened my mouth and InuYasha got half of the little stick in my mouth and half in his smiling mouth. I heard laughing and a snap and saw a flash. Miroku closed my mouth on the twizzler, making my lips touch InuYasha's.

I wiggled my mouth back and forth and broke the Twizzler and ate the half he put in my mouth.

"Why did you do that InuYasha? And why the hell would you help him, Miroku!"

When Miroku could breathe, he spoke. "It was so funny to see you helpless. Do you know how hard it is to get _you_ helpless? I had to do it. Plus you would've killed him."

"Now I'm going to kill both of you."

"You can't. It's time for you and Sango to go." I looked up at the clock, and sure enough, it was almost seven, about fifteen until seven.

"Waiting until I can't kill you. That's evil, brilliant, but evil." I got up and stretched with Sango, and we headed for the door, just like everyone else, because they're leaving my house, remember.

We were at my door, Sesshomaru already said goodbye and he was headed over to Kikyo's house. Miroku and Sango were saying goodbye, and that left…

"I don't know what you're going to do, but be careful, okay?" Said InuYasha.

I gave him a small smile. "I will, okay."

"Are you sure you don't want to ride with me?"

"You didn't drive here, how would you give me a ride?"

"My back, duh. Seriously, be safe. I want a Kagome to come back to." He smiled at me.

"I will, I promise, you have nothing to worry about."

"Just because you say I don't have anything to worry about doesn't mean I don't." He brought his hand up to my cheek and put it on the spot where a Souleater cut me with a knife. "What happened?" He asked in a teddy-bear-soft voice.

"It's just a small cut."

"I know. How did it get there?"

"Kagome, we've got to go!" Sango yelled for me.

"I have to go. Bye." I wrapped my hand around his on my cheek and put it back at his side. "I'll see you later." I smiled at him and turned and got two steps away from him before he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug.

"Be safe." He whispered in my ear.

I hugged him back. "I will, but I have to go now. I will see you later." I got away from him and into Sango's car and got talking to Sango.

"So, you and InuYasha made out."

"No we didn't, he made me eat a piece of candy using his mouth. Your boyfriend helped him do it."

"Miroku is not my boyfriend."

"That's not what he said to InuYasha. He told InuYasha that you two were dating."

"He. Did. WHAT?"

"Yeah, Miroku told InuYasha that you two were dating. Don't tell Miroku that you know though, because I might need a favor of Miroku one day, and if he says no, then I need something to blackmail him with."

"You are evil, Kagome Higurashi. You get that from me."

"Yeah, I do." I rolled my eyes and looked out the window.

We get there, and I talk to Ichijo about my plan for tonight. He didn't want to, but he relented.

"Thank you, I'll be safe."

"Your talkie will be on the whole time just in case you need us."

"Yes it will, but I won't need it."

"Take a sword with you."

"I can't, remember? They know I don't fight with a sword. They know a lot of stuff about me, and they know my fighting style. They know me Ichijo. I have to do treat this with normalcy."

He looked down. "I swear Kagome, you give me more grey hair than my own daughters did."

I smiled at him. "Yeah, you've told me that before." I skipped off to the sketchy black van.

**End chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Begin chapter.**

We arrived at Kikyo's house and I saw Sesshomaru go in, but I didn't see InuYasha. Kikyo's father noticed this.

"I thought you said there were two."

"There were. I guess the other one didn't want to come. No offence, but the other one hates your daughter."

"I know. Most people do. I treat her like a princess because according to legend, she is one." He rolled his eyes. "I have done something horrible with that child. I have spoiled her too much."

"You can't fix it so close to Halloween, Souleaters and what not."

"Thank you for being here and doing what you're doing tonight. I owe you one. I know you've been worked so hard, and you will be rewarded."

"It's good. I've got to go."

All was calm before midnight when I had to go. I went to the clearing like the note said, and sure enough, there were ten Souleaters waiting for me.

"Where is the Chosen One?" One of them snarled at me.

"Calm down, we wanted Kagome more than her. There will always be Halloween, but there may not always be a Kagome." Came a creepy voice from the shadows.

"Show yourself, Souleater." I said.

A demon came out of the trees. He had long black hair and red eyes. They all wore the same olive-green robes. "Kagome, hello and welcome. I am Naraku. I see you received my note. Thank you for joining." He gave me a sinister smile.

"I'm not joining you. I want to know more."

He frowned. "We will tell you all you need to know. Now come with us." He held his hand out to me, but I held still.

"I need time. In that time, do not follow me, do not leave notes under my pillow, and you will leave Sango and InuYasha and Sesshomaru and Miroku alone. I will decide in one week."

Naraku sighed and dropped his hand. "I'm sorry, but that's not what we came here for. We came here for a pick-up, and we intend to pick something up, whether you like it or not. Boys, if you would please escort Miss Higurashi with us." Naraku smiled.

"I don't think so!" I jumped up into the trees where four of them were waiting for me. I knocked two of them down with my knife first. I almost fell out of the tree, which others were starting to climb by the way.

I sliced through one of them with my knife and ran out to the end of the branch to the next tree, got my bow out and was able to cut four of them down that were on the ground, but there were still seven more because of the ones in the trees. I got another bow knocked, but I didn't have time to aim because one of them grabbed me from behind and threw me out of the tree, knocking my bow and arrows out of my hand.

I got a big knife out of its sheath. Two of them came at me at once, and while I took one of them out, when I went to face the other, he punched me so hard in the face I almost passed out while I fell to the ground. I got back up as best as I could, but I was seeing stars.

I saw his fist come at me again, but I was ready for it. I held the knife out to stop it, grabbed an arrow from the ground, and shoved it through his stomach. There were five more, but I know I could handle them.

And I kind of did. I got pretty beat up, but they all died, all but Naraku, who fled early on in the battle. One of them cut my leg, I got a black eye, I was pushed against and out of a tree, my arm bruised, and a cut lip.

I limped back to Kikyo's at one in the morning, and one of the other guards saw me.

"Kagome!" It was a male. Nobanaga!

"Nobanaga, is that you?"

He wrapped his arm around me. "Yeah. What happened to you?"

"I faced off against fourteen Souleaters." I was wheezing. "I got beat up, but killed all of them but Naraku, the fifteenth. Can you take me to Ichijo?"

"Yes, I can." He picked me up and carried me to the house. "Somebody help me! Higurashi is hurt badly and needs Ichijo! Help!" Five other people from inside the house, Ichijo with them, came to us and Ichijo lifted me out of Nobanaga's hands and carried me inside.

"One of you, go take her place outside." One of them nodded and left and Ichijo turned and walked to the house. "I told you to radio in if you were in trouble."

"You did. I got all of them except the leader who left right after it all started. I got all of them, don't worry. That's more Souleaters we don't have to worry about." I smiled and tried to go to sleep. I was so tired. I remembered to take the pills.

"Don't go to sleep Kagome. We need to make sure you don't have a concussion."

I kept my eyes closed. "I don't have a concussion, trust me." I thought about what happened. "Okay, maybe I do."

He sighed. "You will be the death of me Kagome." I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Kagome! No!" Sango yelled for me. "What the fuck happened to her?" She yelled at no one in particular.

"I'm fine Sango." I said, eyes still closed. Ichijo put me down on a flat surface and sat me up.

"Drink this." He held a straw up to my mouth and I drank and wanted to spit it right back out, but I swallowed it.

My eyes popped open. "What is that?"

"It's a potion meant to give you energy to make it through the night until you get home."

"I still have guard duty."

He gave me a bewildered look. "You're not going back out there."

I gave him the same look. "Yes I am. They need me. The Souleaters will come back for me. I need to be there to face them when they do." I took the cup from him and took another gulp.

He took it back from me. "Be careful, if you have too much you could have a heart attack and die."

"So I won't drink it anymore. I'm all better now, so I can go back outside and guard. It's one-thirty, I leave at seven, it's just six and a half more hours to go. The most activity will be in the next hour or so and they need me to be here."

"No. You're going home."

"Not without Sango I'm not. She and I are doing something tomorrow and I told my mom I wouldn't be home until this morning and I don't want her to worry. Please Ichijo, let me guard this thing off."

He gave me a look, but sighed. "Let this be known, Kagome, I am only giving in because I'm worried you'll weaken yourself too much by arguing with me. I'll get Kaede and we'll take care of those wounds for you." He went upstairs to get Kaede.

Sango came over to me and hugged me. "What happened to you out there? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's hard to fight off fourteen of those demons all at once by yourself." I huffed as she let me go.

"Sango, do you want me to die by the Souleaters? I am the Chosen One and I need someone to protect me." Kikyo walked downstairs in a pink, sheer nightgown that barely came below her butt. She looked at Sango and then to me. "What happened to you? You look like shit."

"Gee, thanks. I was saving your ass from the Souleaters. Fourteen of them and a leader, Naraku. You're welcome."

"Oh." She looked thoughtful. "Did this have anything to do with the note you got?"

"Yeah."

"You could've given me away and you stayed safe, but you chose to face them and kill all of them."

"I did because they wanted me or you, and you couldn't fight all of them off at once, so I went for you. Again, you're welcome." I held the ice pack to my head.

She looked thoughtful again. I wonder if Kikyo understands the risk people are in to protect her or if she doesn't think we can get hurt. I wonder if she feels sorry for those of us who are hurt on a frequent basis, or even those who are taken. I wonder if she is thankful that I did this.

"Yeah, thanks."

I gave a swift nod. "You can go back to sleep now, you're safe." I gave her an encouraging smile.

She looked thankful, nodded slightly and went back upstairs. "That was weird. Kikyo doesn't thank anyone for anything." Noted Sango.

"I know, I have no clue what that was about. I thought I was hallucinating because of my head."

We both laughed as Ichijo and Kaede came downstairs. "Obviously she is well enough to laugh with Sango." Said Kaede. "My goodness child, what did ye do? Made sure ye hit every tree ye could on the way back?"

I laughed harder. "No, but I did manage every bush." I winked at her.

Ichijo looked like he wanted to throw up but Kaede and Sango laughed. "You are going to kill me Kagome!" Yelled Ichijo. He and Kaede got me all bandaged up by two, and I was out.

InuYasha's going to kill me when he sees me next time. But the eye will fade before I see him on Monday, so it's good.

Sure enough, the next hour was hell. Everyone got a taste of some action, even Sango, who was on Kikyo guard duty. They didn't make it into her room before Sango killed them with joy.

"You should've seen his face when I stabbed him! Priceless!" Sango laughed with the other guards.

"I hit mine on the tree then stabbed him with a small knife just to do it." Laughed another one.

"Well, it's Higurashi that brought them here for us! Go you Kagome! Twenty in one night, shoo-wee. That thing in the clearing must've been tough, but you got out with so little injuries."

"And how much pain did Sango tell you I'm in?" We all laughed and talked more about our kills before I went home with Sango.

"So I'll see you in like, an hour. Get some rest while you're in there, okay."

"I will. See you soon." I shut the door and walked up the stairs into my house, where there were lights on. "Mom, what are you still doing up so early?" I asked.

She turned around. "I thou-what happened to you!"

I gave a small laugh. "I'm fine mom. In fact I'm lucky to get away from what I did with what I got. Fourteen Souleaters all at one time, and then six more after that."

"When was all of this?"

"At around one. I told them I'd be fine, they wanted me to come home, but I was fine. I'm okay mom, really." I said as she started feeling my face.

She sighed. "Kagome, you are so stubborn."

I giggled. "Ichijo said the same thing. I'm going upstairs."

She smiled, which told me she was planning something. "There was a favor asked of me yesterday, I hope you don't mind."

"What was the favor?" I asked cautiously.

She shook her head. "Never mind. Go sleep some." She gave me a big smile. I gave her another funny look but went upstairs.

I opened the door to my room and saw someone sleeping on my bed sitting up, arms crossed over his red wife-beater and long, fuzzy black pants with red exploding dots all over them. Perched on the top of his white hair were two dog ears that twitched.

InuYasha waited up for me to come back. He's hot, I'm not denying that at all. His tan and muscular arms crossed over his masculine chest on my bed. There is a hot guy in my bed. I almost busted out laughing. I took out my phone from the black bag I was carrying and took a picture and sent it to Sango while she sent me a picture of Miroku wearing a navy thermal and purple and navy flannel pants, laying on her bed, with a spot open just for her. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

**Tell Miroku I said cute pajamas. –Kagome.**

** I will. Tell InuYasha I say the same thing. Go to sleep. –Sango.**

I silently laughed and got a Buffy T-shirt and black gym shorts. I peeled off my other clothes, _in the bathroom_, and wondered how I was going to sleep. My door creaked open to let my mother inside. "Aw, he's so sweet. He was so worried about you, he came over in that and wanted to know if you were okay, that he couldn't sleep knowing you were in danger."

"Hey, take a picture." I gave her my cell and sat next to InuYasha, careful not to wake him. I copied his position and my mom snapped the picture and went to wake him. "No, I'll be fine. Leave him." I smiled at her.

She looked knowingly at me and handed me my phone back. "Just saying, Miroku did the same thing with Sango." She laughed and left my room. I looked back to InuYasha, wondering how I'm supposed to sleep with him taking up over half my bed.

Turns out I didn't need to because he woke up. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at me. Once he saw my black eye, he was wide awake. He brought his hand up and used his thumb to caress my cheek. "What happened to you?"

"That's not the only thing. I used to have a concussion. I'm fine now though."

"But you weren't." He yawned and an ear twitched and I giggled. "What is so funny?"

"Your ears are the cutest things. You waited up for me."

He turned a slight pink. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep last night after Sesshomaru got home so I waited for you."

"You didn't have to do that. You don't even live here."

"I know that, but I still wanted to know you were okay." He mumbled.

I smiled at him. "Thank you for worrying. Miroku waited for Sango too." He looked back at me. "Yeah, she sent me a picture of him on her bed just like I sent her a picture of you."

He pinned me down. "You did what?"

I giggled a little. "Relax, she has one of you and I have one you Miroku and one you and me."

He looked at me quizzically. "You what?"

"Once I got changed I copied you." I smiled up at him. "Can you get off of me now, I need to sleep, I'm helping Sango with stuff today."

He looked at our position and blushed, but got off. "Well, I guess I'll be going home then." He looked at his bare feet.

"You could stay. If you wanted to, that is."

He looked back up at me. "You sure you wouldn't mind if I stayed?" I shook my head and he smiled. "Okay." He walked over and got in with me. I was on the end, my front facing his chest with his arms wrapped around my shoulders and waist protectively. I put both of my hands on his chest and nuzzled my head into his chest and drifted off into a warm sleep.

InuYasha was rubbing my arm to wake me up in an hour like he always did. "Wake up." His voice tickled my ear.

"Mmm…"

"That wasn't a real response. Wake up or I'll let go of you." I snuggled in closer to my warmth. "Haha, come on, let's go. Your mom made us food before she left. Get up."

"Make me." I got closer if that was even possible.

"I hope you don't mean that." He sat up, taking me with him, and carried me downstairs. "I'm hungry and the smell is so good. But yours is still better."

"And what do I smell like?"

"You smell like honeysuckle. Sweet honeysuckle from the middle of the woods. Not home-grown crap, the good kind."

"Thank you? I'm as confused about that as me being a hooker with more money than you."

InuYasha laughed and set me on the island. "It was funny, just go with it." He turned around and got something from the stove and turned back to me. "Close your eyes and open your mouth."

"You're not going to kiss me again, are you?"

"Haha, no. Just open your mouth then." I did and he put some bacon in my mouth. I chewed and it was amazing. "Great isn't it. Your mother came in this morning to tell me she was leaving. She laughed when she saw us, I heard her and that's what woke me up. She took your phone and took a picture and then I opened my eyes, she said bye, and left. I've been awake for twenty minutes or something like that."

"What did you do during that time?"

He looked at me funny. "Just thought about stuff. Now, what are you doing over at Sango's?"

"Her mom needs help with decorating for a party tonight. And I have to go again tonight, so the second I get off I'm sleeping."

He gave me a funny look. "Why do you go there if this is how they treat you?" I was about to speak, but he interrupted. "Let me guess, Halloween?" I nodded and he sighed. "Why is that the only answer you have for me?" I shrugged.

"Maybe you should ask different questions."

"Okay, what's your favorite movie?"

"That's a hard question. One of the Madea movies. You?"

"Madea is my favorite too. Best music genre ever?"

"Metal, hard rock, that sort of thing. You?"

"I like those, but I'm a normal rock person myself. What's your favorite color?"

"What do you think my favorite color is?" I thought it would be obvious.

"Is it black?" I laughed and nodded my head. "What is something only Sango and your mom know about you?"

"I love stuffed animals."

"Keh, I knew that much. Have you seen your room? I don't have any other questions I can think of right now, but I will soon."

"Whatever. Just let me eat so I can get to Sango's and get back so I can sleep for the first time in a while."

"Is that what those pills were that you bought from Koga?"

"Yeah. It's not the first time I've taken them, but the second. I only take them when my life turns to this."

"When was the last time you used them?"

"This time last year. I'm not an addict. I'm addicted to following you around in my house though." I said as I took a bite out of a poppy seed muffin.

"Is this your busiest time of the year?"

"Yeah. I'm good though. I don't think I'll have to take them for a while." There was a knock at the door. "I'll get it." I hopped off the counter and walked to the door. I looked through the peep hole and opened the door. "Nobanaga, what are you doing here?"

"Ichijo asked me to come by to make sure you got home okay and that you've slept."

"I have thank you." I felt someone walk up behind me. I turned around to see a mad InuYasha. "InuYasha, this is Nobanaga, Nobanaga, this is InuYasha, we go to school together. InuYasha, he's my co-worker and graduated from Tokyo U. a few years ago." I said that part louder to calm him down.

He still put his arm protectively around my waist. "Nice to meet you." He extended a hand that Nobanaga took.

"So, how is your girlfriend doing?"

"She's quite good, thank you. Looks like you got yourself someone there too, Kags." He wiggled his eyebrows.

I laughed. "No, he came by late to check on me, but he ended up waiting on me. He woke me up this morning too."

"Sure, Kags, sure. See you tonight."

"See you then." I rolled my eyes and went to shut the door.

"Kagome!" I heard someone call. Kikyo started running up my stairs with a short skirt on and looking like she was going on a date, something in her hand. "My dad told me to give this to you."

"What is it?" I asked her as I took the envelope in front of me.

"He told me to-InuYasha? What are you doing here?" Kikyo brightened up a little until he wrapped the other arm around me and put his head on mine. "Anyway, my father told me to tell you that that is an apology from last night, and a thanks. And thanks again."

I nodded. "Anytime. So, yeah."

We had an awkward moment. "So I guess I'll see you later then."

"Yeah, I'll see you later. Um, bye, I guess."

"See you later." She nodded and turned and left and I shut the door, but InuYasha still wouldn't let me go.

"InuYasha, let me go."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do have to. Get off, I have to get to Sango's house and then come back."

"Fine." He let me go and we went back to the kitchen. I ate another muffin and got my shoes on. "I don't know if you normally just don't eat much or if you don't have a lot of time, but I've not seen you eat more than one full meal. I've seen you eat enough to be a full meal, just not all at one time."

"I don't know about that either."

"Can I stay here? I don't want to go home now."

"I don't care. Did you want to go change? I'll give you a key."

"Nah, I'll be good with my pajamas. I always stay in Friday pajamas and then change into different ones after a shower. Can I?"

"I told you, I don't care, just don't go through my stuff and let me tell my mom."

"Thank you. Can I eat more of this stuff, it's great."

I giggled a little. "My mom would like to have you over more, I think. She loves cooking."

"Then can I be your brother? I love eating. Wait, me being your brother wouldn't work for me."

"And why is that?"

He merely nodded his head. "I'll see you later."

"Okay, I'll see you later then." I was about to close the door behind me, but he stopped me and pointed at his cheek. "I'm not going to kiss you on the cheek or anywhere else." I raised my eyebrows at him.

He rolled his eyes. "You should because it would be just like we're married."

I giggled. "No it wouldn't. You don't live here."

"Yeah but we slept in the same bed, and ate breakfast together, duh." He bent down and stole a kiss on my forehead.

"Why don't you do that to any other girl? Why is it always me?"

"Because you're the first girl that I have to try to beat in a race and even then I can't really beat you."

I rolled my eyes. "Goodbye."

"See you soon, honey!" He laughed.

"Shut up, pumpkin!"

"Make me, richer-than-me-whore!"

"I will, poor whore!"

"Oh please, I would make some big bucks. Maybe more than you on some occasions."

"I'm leaving you now. Goodbye." I left in a good mood for Sango's house.

**End chapter**


	6. Chapter 6

**Begin chapter**

I knocked on the door and Sango's mom answered. "Hi Kagome." She pulled me into a hug. "Sango told me about what happened last night. You are such a brave girl, you know. I'm just so glad you're okay."

"Oh please, it'll take more than a few Souleaters to kill me. It'd take an army to kill me."

"An army of Souleaters?" Sango's mom asked me.

"Yeah, Souleaters. Now, what are we doing?"

"Just hanging some streamers. Here, I'll show you." For the next two hours we hung decorations while Sango slept. I knew Sango would be asleep. Her mom tried to send me home to sleep, but I didn't feel good about leaving her here when I'd promised I'd help her.

"Allow me to make you lunch."

"I'll get something at home. I have a visitor there now and he's crazy. He waited up for me last night, just like Miroku did, and we ate breakfast together, and I was able to sleep for an hour and we slept together, _just slept_, and when I left this morning, he wanted me to give him a kiss because it 'felt like we were married'." I did air quotes.

"Miroku is still up there. I know they're not doing anything though. Sango's too tired, and I'm sure you'rejust dead. Have a safe walk home. Are you sure you don't want a ride back home?"

"I'll be good, thank you though. See you later."

"Okay, and thank you so much for doing this."

"No problem. See you later!" I waved goodbye and began walking home when Koga ran up next to me.

"Hey, Kagome. How are you doing from the pills?"

"I'm fine. I still have four of them, I mean I still want the others, just letting you know I have them."

"Cool. Hey, I notice you're badly hurt all over. What happened?"

"Just a bad fight with some demons."

"Souleaters again?"

"Twenty of them in one night, and I took fourteen on all at once."

"Good gosh, fourteen? Damn, you're good at cutting them things down."

I giggled a little. "Yeah. So, how are you?"

"I'm doing okay. I won't be at school for a week though. Big drop that I took on. I can't wait."

I laughed. "Only you would be happy about doing a drop."

"I guess I would. Well, stay safe and all that. I'll see you later."

"Bye." We were at my door by now. I opened it and InuYasha wasn't in the kitchen or the living room. I went upstairs and he's on my bed…again. "Why do you love being on my bed so much?" I half asked half giggled.

"I just love smelling you." He took a big whiff through the nose. "Brings me joy." He smiled and closed his eyes.

"Well if you'd wait, I'll take a shower and be right back." I got stuff to take a shower and did it. I hadn't had time to take a decent shower in a while so I took about thirty minutes,

"Damn time you came out." Said InuYasha when I came out. "I thought you fell in."

"How, I was taking a shower?"

"Whatever you say, I thought you fell in." He shrugged his shoulders. "Did you have fun?"

"While taking a shower? Yeah, I suppose I had a great shower."

"Wait, you said great, not good. So you did have some fun, didn't you."

"I like taking showers, I can't help it. I haven't been this clean in ages." I sighed and fell on the bed, making my head land on his lap.

He looked down at me. "Are you tired?" He asked sarcastically.

"What do you think? I haven't gotten more than thirty minutes' sleep all week, how do _you_ think I feel?"

He laughed. "Well maybe you should sleep. Here." He got up and laid me down in the same position as this morning and I fell asleep.

**End.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Begin.**

I woke up to no InuYasha, but a fantastic smell. I looked over at the clock. I'd been asleep for two hours. I've slept for three hours today. I fumbled my way downstairs to find InuYasha, who turned his head to me.

"Hey, why did you get up? When and how did you get up? I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, and I don't know why I can't sleep. Maybe I have to wait for a while until the pills fade or something. What are you doing?"

"I was going to wake you up at five to food, but you beat me to it."

"What do you mean, it's only three."

He chuckled. "Kagome, I did that on purpose so you'd think you didn't sleep. You've slept for five hours today. Or, well six hours if you count the one this morning."

"Hey, when you're me, every second counts." I huffed again and sat down on a bar stool by the island.

"Well, there's still time before I need to deal with food, so I'm free of being busy for a moment."

"Have you thought of more questions to ask me?" He handed me a glass of water.

"I have, I have. When you wake up, do you shoot out of bed or does it take a while for everything to come to?"

"I'll let you know when I've had decent sleep." I gave a harsh laugh and sipped my water.

"I'd hate to be you."

"It'll get worse later in the month." I laid my head down on the table and he started massaging my shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"You seem stressed."

"We aren't married you know."

"But we'd make hot babies."

"_I'd_ make okay babies. You'd make cute pups, as long as they had your ears."

He lowered his head to my ear. "But you'd make adorable babies. But together our babies would be amazing."

"You know, they say that two good things are better separated than together."

"Only you would quote that."

"I can't help it." His pace was good, but it was too soft. "You should make your grip tighter."

He chuckled. "I think I can do that." He did and it felt wonderful.

The oven beeped and he left me to get it. "Why would you do that?"

"I'd rather not burn your kitchen down if that's alright." I heard him doing something, but I didn't lift my head to see what it was, but it smelled great.

"What did you make?"

"I had Sesshomaru bring me a steak."

I shot my head up. "Why would you do that? Don't you need a _grill_ to do that?"

"Nope. I bake mine. Sesshomaru thinks I'm a freak because I do, but it tastes better." He started cutting it up.

"Does it really?" He cut up a small chunk and fed it to me. "I can feed myself you know." None the less, I opened my mouth and ate it. It did taste better, there was more flavor. "Where did you learn to do this?"

He chuckled. "I just got bored one day a while back and just did stuff." He shrugged and gave me another chunk.

"You're going to make me fat."

"How! You've only had two chunks that aren't even that big!"

My size is important. I am a small and a jeans size two-six, depending on the jean and day. "Yeah, but I had two muffins this morning."

"Are you like, anorexic?"

"No, I'm not, I just care."

"You're self-conscience."

"So? What's the bad thing about that?"

"The bad part about that is that you aren't fully healthy and you aren't eating. You need food to live."

"I eat."

"Not very much." He kept cutting the steak. "Your mom says she loves you, and that she won't be back until late tonight, but you won't see her until tomorrow? Why won't she see you until tomorrow?"

"Because I work tonight." I rolled my eyes.

"What? They can't do that, you can't go back there, you get hurt."

"_Got_ hurt, thank you."

"It doesn't matter, you're still hurt right now. Don't start with me, I'll win this."

"Because you're so intimidating." He was still wearing what he had on this morning.

"Pajamas is the gang uniform."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Only you would come up with something so ridiculous." I rolled my eyes again.

He mocked me. "I'm Kagome, and I'm all perfect because I don't sleep and I don't eat so I can fit into a size negative four." He started to prance around my kitchen like an idiot, making me laugh harder.

"What's wrong with you?" I sat up. "Well I'm InuYasha and I have adorable dog ears and a fantastic brother that I fight with all the time because I love him." I got up and ran from InuYasha when he started to chase me. I ran outside in the yard and let him catch me. "You know I'm ruining your fun by letting you catch me." He picked me up and spun me around and around.

"Dizzy yet?" He panted.

"I'm not."

He slowed then stopped. "Well I am." He let me go and brought his hands up behind his head. "You are one tough cookie. And not the hard on the outside but soft on the inside, you're just an over-baked cookie."

"Well you're a carrot."

He gave me a look. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm just not a very well made cookie is my problem. Just ask Sango, she'll tell you."

"Why are you not a well made cookie?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Stuff happens."

"What kind of stuff?" He asked me as he followed me back inside to the kitchen.

"Just stuff, okay." I didn't want to talk about it with him, not yet.

"What stuff, Kagome? I want to know."

"Why?" I whirled around to face him. "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to know more about you."

"Why do you care? Why don't you ask Sango these questions?" I know he's being really nice, but I don't let my barrier down, not anymore.

"Because I just don't."

"Why, because you don't care? Why do you need to know?"

"I don't _need_ to know, I _want_ to know."

"You may ask a question which I choose not to answer."

"And why is that Kagome? What happened that you're not telling me? Something happened to you in the past to make you shut me and everyone else out."

"I don't shut you out, or anyone for that matter."

He gave a harsh laugh. "Like hell you don't. You even shut Sango out sometimes. I know you shut Miroku out, and you're shutting me out right now. Why do you keep people out like this? We just want to help you."

"I don't need to be treated like I'm crazy, because I'm all the way sane. I don't need a shrink."

"I'm not saying you do, but please, at least stop shutting Sango out, she's your best friend for pity's sake. How do you think she feels when you lock her out of your life, or when you don't let on how much pain you're in? I can tell you're in physical pain, but you won't let me help you."

"I don't _need_ anyone's help, I'm fine, I can handle it."

He sighed. "I already told you this: you are not fine. You are tired and weak-". I grabbed his neck in my hand.

"Do not ever, and I mean _ever_, call me weak, or it will be the last thing you ever do. No one ever calls me weak, and if they do, they didn't live to tell the tale."

He brought his hand up and made me let go of his neck. "It's okay. You're getting weaker the more you don't eat and the more you take those pills."

"I didn't take them yesterday but once, so I'm not taking them, am I."

"You said that your month was going to get busier the later it got, right? You're going to need them even more later then now, so yes, you will take the pills again."

"If I do or not isn't your concern."

He glared through my eyes and to my soul. He grabbed my waist and pulled me closer. "Just like I don't call you weak, don't you dare say anything having to do with you isn't my concern, because it is. I'm _making_ it my concern and my business, whether you like it or not." He stopped glaring, but his eyes were still hard.

"Why?"

He rolled his eyes at me, but he kept on my hand but let go of my waist. "Because I care about what happens to you, I care about what happened to you, and I sure as hell care about what's happening _to_ you. Does that answer your question?"

I faltered slightly. "Y-yeah."

"Good. Now, are you going to tell me what happened to make you put up a wall and shut people out?"

"Not now. Maybe later though. Like, a lot later."

He dropped my hand and shrugged. "It's better than getting yelled at I guess." He turned to work on his steak some more. He got two plates out of the cabinet.

"How do you know where the dishes are?"

"Your mom told me where to find everything in this house. It was an interesting conversation." He put half the steak on one plate, and the other on the other plate and handed one to me.

"Does it look like I can eat this?" I looked down at the huge slab of meat and back up to the half demon who prepared it.

"You're going to do your best." He looked at me hard. "With those nasty injuries you need as much energy as you can get."

I rolled my eyes, but tried to eat it. I got through an eighth of it! Well, almost and eighth. "I'm proud of myself." I said as I gave to last of it to InuYasha who looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

"I wouldn't be." He stood up, got some foil out, dang he does know where everything is, and he put what I didn't eat in the fridge.

"You're a boy, you could eat three horses and still have room for desert." I rolled my eyes and smiled. I looked over at the clock, and it's a damn good thing I did too. It was twenty minutes before I had to be at HQ. "Hey guess what? I have to go in fifteen minutes."

He sighed. "I'll drop you off."

"You sure? You really don't have to do that."

"Oh please, and I'll pick you back up too." He turned around from the sink. "But I'm bringing you back to my house this time. What time do you get off?"

"Eight." It was almost seven now, so I have a thirteen hour shift.

"At night I hope."

"No, in the morning. I'm not kidding right now, I'm being serious."

His eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Thirteen hours! What kind of work do you do that would keep you for thirteen hours?"

"Halloween. It's not that far off from now."

"I still want to know." InuYasha was cute when he grumbled.

I rolled my eyes and threw an arm around his shoulders which is hard to do, him being six inches or so taller than me. "It's okay, InuYasha, you'll live."

He turned to face me, forcing my arm to turn in front of me while still holding onto his shoulder, but he put his hands on my hips. "I might not if you don't die before Halloween." He held me tighter, pressing our chests together. How could someone be so warm and _feel_ loving? "As long as you're alive, I will be too." He mumbled into my hair.

I brought my other arm up to the other side of his head. "I will always be here." I got up on my tip-toes and put my forehead on his. "I promise." I whispered the last part and smiled.

He griped me tighter. "I'll hold you to that promise." He whispered and smiled.

The door flew open and Sesshomaru stepped through it. "Wasn't my door locked?" I asked, pulling away from InuYasha, sad face. "What can I do for you, Sesshy?"

"I'm here to collect my brother. I am so sorry for anything he made you do, I'll arrest him if you want me to."

I laughed while InuYasha blushed and glared at him. "He didn't make me do anything. Why are you getting him?"

Sesshomaru looked normal, stoic. "I just figured he'd be an inconvenience for you." He shrugged his shoulders.

"He's not. I mean, if you want to take him, you can, but I don't mind if he stays here. I actually enjoy his company."

Sesshomaru's face turned to shock. "I-If you're alright with it I don't mind. If you enjoy his company that is."

I gave him a warm smile. "I'd like it if you would let him stay with me."

InuYasha's arm snaked around my waist. "As long as he's no trouble and you call me when he is."

I giggled and nodded. Sesshomaru turned and walked out of the door he'd come in through. InuYasha leaned his head down to my ear. "Thank you for that."

"No problem. What time is it?"

"Around six-fifty, why?"

"Shit! I have to go soon." I ran upstairs and threw on the uniform, brushed my teeth, and brushed my hair and styled it to a neat pony-tail. I flew back downstairs, almost hitting InuYasha and looked for a 5-Hour energy.

"If you're looking for your pills, they're-"

"Not what I'm looking for." I dug through my backpack and finally found it. "I was looking for this, thank you." I pulled the bottle out and showed him and his face changed to realization. "Yeah, a simple shot of this will keep me awake for a while."

"How many bottles of that have you gone through in the past week?"

"Like, almost four or five of them. They work, and can't carry around a can of Monster in my pants, but I _can_ carry a bottle of this in the waist-band." I threw back a dose and tucked the rest of the bottle in my pants. I went to the kitchen and got a Monster Java, one of the _many_ in the fridge, and opened the can and took a few sips. "You want one?" I stepped aside to let him see the bottom rack of the fridge, filled with green and blue and java Monster and Red Bull and his eyes went wide.

"How much does your job pay?"

"More when they give me ridiculous hours." I huffed out and took another sip. "The door is full of Dr. Pepper."

He looked over to the door. "Damn you have a lot of energy drinks."

I gave a cold laugh. "Yeah, I think I need it, don't you." I took another sip.

"Shouldn't you be eating too?"

"Didn't I just eat not a few minutes ago?"

"You ate at five-thirty, and it's past six-thirty." He told me.

"I'm not hungry." I shrugged my shoulders. "I'll be fine."

"When do you get out again?" He asked, while sighing.

"I get out at eight."

He brightened up a lot. "You only work for an hour?"

I gave a harsh laugh. "I wish, but no. Eight in the morning InuYasha."

His jaw dropped open. "Thirteen hours?"

"Yes, we've been over this." I rolled my eyes and took another sip, taking a Dr. Pepper from the fridge and tossed it to him. "I'll be fine."

He looked over at me with worry in his eyes. "As long as I'm picking you up and dropping you off." He shrugged.

I shrunk back. "Yeah, um, about that…" I walked around the island.

His eyes took on a suspicious look. "What about me giving you a ride." His tone took on an accusatory sound.

"You sort of can't."

He gave an angry sigh. "And why is that?"

"Top secret, hush hush and all." I gave a wimpy laugh and shrugged.

He closed his eyes and stayed silent for a while. "Okay, but you go straight there and straight back, understand." His eyes were flashing with anger, but not at me.

"Alright." I nodded and he walked me to the door. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll see you when you get back."

I raised my eyebrows. "When I get back? What does that mean? Are you staying here all night again now that you know when I'll be back?"

He wrapped his arms around me. "Yes, but I am going home first to prepare for your arrival."

"You're going to prepare for _my_ arrival at _my_ house?"

He laughed and put his mouth near my raven black hair. "No, I'm preparing for your arrival at _my_ house."

I pulled back. "When did I say I'd go to your house?"

He gave me a funny look. "So you _don't_ want to go to a rich person's house? They're all really big."

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "I don't care." I walked out the door and onto the street to run to HQ.

Holy shit that night was horrible! The damn Souleaters brought their best tonight, however we didn't have our best. Do you know how many asses I saved tonight? One guy didn't even stay awake for the whole thing. He got knocked out because he hesitated too long. I beat over twenty of those things. I was weak, hungry, tired and over-worked. I walked home groggily, but then felt someone following me. I stopped and turned around and saw a flash of olive dash behind a trash can.

I kept walking. I wonder why they'd send someone in daylight. I turned left around the corner to keep them from finding out where I live. I turned another corner into an ally, where Koga hung out frequently, just so you understand how shady the ally is.

I heard soft running footsteps behind me, and I went into action. I back-flipped over their head and tackled them, looking around to make sure no one was looking and stabbed him and he turned to dust, but not before he cut my forehead.

I walked home dizzy, almost falling into the soon-to-be busy traffic of the morning. I stumbled into my house and tripped up the stairs to my room, where InuYasha was sitting at my desk in different pajamas doing some homework. He didn't turn right away.

"So, how was doing what you do?"

Should I tell him the truth about it? Didn't matter, he was going to find out when he turned around anyway, so what do I have to lose?

"In all truth, not well at all."

He still didn't turn around. "If you're wondering why I'm not looking at you it's because I'm working on a math problem."

"I'd help you but I don't think I can." I brought my hand up to my cut to find it wasn't gushing, but it hadn't stopped bleeding yet.

"Keh, you could do anything no matter what state you're in."

"Not this time."

He stopped short, pencil in hand. "What do you mean? What happened?" He turned around and almost had a freak out. Rather, a _loud_ freak out. Oh he still freaked out, he just didn't scream and shout. He ran over to me at lightning speed…maybe it wasn't lightning speed, but everything seemed to be going faster than normal around me.

"Got cut on my way back this morning." I closed my eyes and felt my hand being removed by InuYasha's hand.

"Where?"

"The ally where the drug dealers are. Almost like the island where the wild things are, but worse." I gave a small laugh.

"You are the only person I know who can be losing blood fast and still make jokes." He started to analyze my wound. "How long has it been bleeding?"

"Enough for me to feel weak and dizzy." As if on cue my knees started to get shaky, but he was too busy addressing my cut, and I didn't want him to worry more, so I willed my knees to stop shaking.

"You need food and you need food _NOW_." He grabbed my hand and started dragging me downstairs.

"InuYasha, please slow down." The room was spinning and pictures were falling off the walls. He only slowed a little. "InuYasha, please, slow down a lot more. Please."

"Kagome, you need sugar now."

"InuYasha, the room is spinning and just please slow down a lot more."

He sighed, but slowed. "Fine, but you need food as soon as possible." He continued to drag me down the stairs and into the kitchen, but we didn't make it to the kitchen. Well, I didn't make it there awake.

**End Chapter**


	8. Chapter 8

**Begin Chapter**

When I came to, my eyes were met with a dim light and a dark ceiling. I sat up, still groggy and dizzy. I looked around the room. I was on a bed that had a blood red comforter with two black stripes, one at each end, and black sheets. Behind me, the pillows were a combination of black and red. Wow, whoever's room this is must love red and black. My thoughts turned to InuYasha.

I swung my bare feet over the edge of the bed and onto a soft blood red carpet with black swirls decorated on it. The walls were black, and the desk was made of mahogany the door of the same.

I walked around the mahogany bed posts and to the door. I opened the door and stepped out into the light blue carpeted and white walls. I didn't know where I was, so I took to the right down the hallway.

I walked past empty walls and cherry wood doors. It looks like the only door that wasn't cherry was the door of the room I was in. I came to another split hallway, but chose left this time, and it led me to a dead end, so I went the other way, but that led me to a dead end as well.

I passed the mahogany door as I went to the other side of the hallway. There was another split hallway and I chose right, but that went to a dead end, but the left worked; I ended up at a spiral stairway.

Once down those stairs, the carpet changed color and was now a pretty light green and the doors turned to oak and the walls turned to grey. I walked down the only hallway to the end where there was another stairway, but this one was three flights of five stairs each flight.

The next and final floor was made of clear tile, giving the impression of walking on diamonds. The walls were snow white and there were no closed doors. I walked to where I heard noises. I was still in the attire I had on before I ended up here.

As I got closer to the room with voices, I could make out a conversation.

"All I'm saying is that you should've brought her to a hospital instead of here first. I love it that you're making new friends that aren't Miroku and I love that you're caring about something so much, but it would've been in the girl's best interest to go to a hospital." A low and soothing voice was speaking.

"Dad, I just don't trust hospital people to care for what I care so much for. Just like I wouldn't trust Sesshomaru with my cell, I don't trust _anyone_ with my Kagome."

There was a silence. Did they know I was up and out? "_Your_ Kagome? InuYasha have you lost your mind? You've no claim on the girl. I wouldn't mind having grandchildren that look like her, because she is a beautiful, but for now she's not yours." I heard sweet laughter from InuYasha's father.

I could tell that InuYasha huffed. "Well, she doesn't seem to like opening up to me. Or Sango for that matter! She just blocks everyone out of her life and I don't know why."

InuYasha's dad laughed again. "Maybe you should try harder, give her some time and just be there when she needs you, like right now. She will wake up any minute and she will see that _you're_ the one that is caring for her."

"Or she'll freak out that I didn't take her to a hospital." I could tell what face InuYasha was making; he was pouting. "Anyway, where is Sesshomaru?"

"He is with a girl called Rin I believe. It's funny, how he says he won't ever fall for anyone and yet he is falling slowly for this girl Rin."

"I don't know, he seems to like Kagome a lot. She's smart and funny, and Sesshomaru loves smart girls."

"I really don't care, it's Rin he will fall for."

I decided to make my appearance at that moment. I stepped out into a beautiful kitchen. All of the appliances were stainless steel and the island top was made of marble, with a demon and a half demon still in their own conversations until I spoke up. "InuYasha, where am I?"

He jumped and whipped his head over to where I was at. His eyes widened and he came running at me and I winced and braced myself for the impact that never came. Or well, the impact I was expecting at least. He hugged me around the shoulders and waist and held me tightly.

"Thank goodness you're awake. You've been out for a while."

I wrapped my arms around him as best as I could with his arms just taking over my body. "How long, InuYasha?" My voice angry.

He gave a sigh. "About two hours. It's ten-thirty." He said into my hair. "You've not had food for a while and you passed out from sugar loss and me being an ass."

There was a loud cough from behind him. "InuYasha, language."

"Japanese." He smiled and turned around. "I'm sorry but there was only word to describe my behavior at her house. I ran her through her own house and made it worse."

"It's fine." I reassured him.

"Anyways, father, this is Kagome Higurashi, the girl that jumped down my throat in one second."

"Don't you mean knocked you to the floor in three seconds?" I asked him, remembering the first day we met when I pushed him on the ground when I thought he was a threat.

His father laughed. "I remember when he came in here after school that day! He was in shock because the same girl that said 'no' to him when he asked her out had moments before kicked his butt. And this same girl was amazingly smart and, as my son puts it, attractive. It's nice to _finally_ get to meet the one and only Kagome Higurashi."

I stepped forward to accept the hand he held out, but he took my hand and pulled me into a hug. I laughed as he pulled back.

"Ha. In your face son."

"Well guess what pap?" InuYasha headed for me and picked me up bridal style and nuzzled his face into my neck. "This is what's up."

"What are you doing?" I asked him. "Can you put me down?"

He sighed, but complied. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Better than before. When did you take me here?"

"The second you fell. Do you remember it? I just slowed down and you fell into my back. The second I realized you were out, I rushed you over here." He shrugged.

"And why didn't you bring me to a hospital?" I raised my eyebrows.

He blushed before answering. "Because I don't trust hospital people."

I nodded my head. "Okay. Now then, where am I?"

He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "Where do you _think_ you are?" He said in a tone mocking me.

"Your house."

"Yes, you are in my house."

"Where's Sesshomaru then?"

"With Rin, why?"

"Just wondering where he was, gosh."

"Well, now then, onto some food." He turned to the island and pulled out a spoon and handed it over to me. He walked over to his fridge and got out some yogurt. "If you don't eat all of this, I'll force feed you." He turned to his father. "You see, she has something against eating. I don't think she believes in it."

I rolled my eyes. "I do too." I took a bite of yogurt. "I just don't have much time for it, thank you." I finished the yogurt and found a trash can.

"You just gonna make her stand when she's badly hurt InuYasha? Or can you not see past your affections for her?"

He blushed and put me on the island. "Really?" I asked him.

He rolled his eyes and put me in a chair. "Is that any better?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Doesn't matter either way to me."

InuYasha walked over to a bowel and picked up a red apple and tossed it at me, making his father's face twist in disbelief, and even more when I caught it at the last minute. "Eat the apple, _all_ of the apple." InuYasha was trying to make me fat.

"You couldn't walk over to her and hand her the apple? You could've cut it up for her as well, InuYasha." InuYasha's father seems to be unhappy.

"It's good. I caught it, and I'm not helpless." I took a small bite out of the apple. "Any reason you're giving me calcium foods and not iron foods?" I asked to InuYasha.

InuYasha's face froze in realization. "I didn't even think about that."

I laughed along with his father. I put my hand on my forehead and there was a bandage on the cut I got. "Did you put this on?" I asked InuYasha.

"No, I did. He's a scared little puppy when it comes to handling blood and what not. I just thought about this; you don't know my name. I am, officially, InuTaisho Takahashi." He extended his hand out to me and I shook it.

"Kagome Higurashi." I giggled.

"So, from what InuYasha tells me, you have no clue who I am in the business world, not that I mind."

"No, I do know what you do." No I don't.

"Oh, really? Then what does he do?" InuYasha asked.

"Umm…he…he works in an office?" I spoke in a weak voice. I can't remember anything.

InuTaisho and InuYasha threw their heads back and laughed, and I laughed along with them. When Sesshomaru came in, he laughed too. I was the only one who didn't stop laughing right away. InuTaisho and InuYasha just stared.

"What? Can't a man laugh in his home?" Asked Sesshomaru. I'll admit I've never seen him laugh, but I _have_ seen him smile…a little.

"Y-you can, but I've never _seen_ it before." InuYasha was dazzled.

"This Rin girl must be something amazing for _you_ to laugh when you step in here."

"Well what were you three laughing about? Kagome! How are you feeling since my brother knocked you out in your own home this morning?"

I giggled a little. "I'm doing just fine."

"I hope he's feeding you iron rich foods and not anything else, like calcium."

"It was a small mistake, okay! I didn't mean to forget about iron! Excuse me for living."

"I can change that for you." Thus began Sesshomaru and InuYasha fighting. InuTaisho made his way over to me.

"I hope you are _really_ feeling better, rather than just saying you feel better, but you really don't."

I smiled a little. "I really am feeling better."

"I hope so. From what I hear, you are quite the source of a worry in my son that I've never seen before. I have a hunch on what you do, but I don't know if it's right. While these two are fighting, would you mind stepping in my study for a moment?"

"Sure, why not." I followed him into a big room with floor to ceiling windows and white carpet and a glass desk in the middle of the room. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Are you a Guardian?"

I smirked. "Yes, I am."

"Are you the fabulous one?"

"I'm their best guardian."

"You are the one that they call in for fourteen hours at a time, and you still manage to get all A's and still make time to train?" I nodded and he got up from where he sat in his black leather chair and walked around the desk to face me. He got down on his knees. "Then it is an honor to be in your air, Miss Higurashi."

"Why is it an honor to be in _my_ presence and not the Chosen One's?"

He looked up at me from where he's bowed his head. "You seem to just not sleep and you don't complain."

"I don't need to, Sango does that for me." I gave a weak laugh. "You don't have to kneel before me."

He smiled and stood up. "Thank you. I've heard nothing but good things about you from Ichijo and Kaede. I know both of them. Shall we stop Sesshomaru and InuYasha from killing themselves?" He offered me an elbow and I looped my arm through his.

"We shall."

He led me out of his office and into the kitchen, where InuYasha and Sesshomaru were sitting on opposite sides of the table. Sesshomaru turned his head to us first. "And where have you two been?"

InuYasha's head shot up. "Kagome, what happened to you?"

I gave a little laugh and walked over to him. "Your father just had a few questions for me, calm down." I smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "So, anything fun happen while I was away?" I asked in an amused voice.

"Nope. Just some harmless teasing Sesshomaru about Rin, his lover." InuYasha fluttered his eyelashes at Sesshomaru.

"She is _not_ my lover, InuYasha. She is to me, what Kagome is to you: someone I will never get with."

I laughed at the two brothers. "Where do you two come up with these things from?"

InuYasha shrugged. "I just say the obvious."

"And _I_ just say what's going on. You have no chance with Kagome, now or ever, you don't even have a chance at her finger." Sesshomaru said to InuYasha.

InuTaisho and I just sat back and laughed at the banter.

"Now, now Sesshomaru, why so cruel?" Came a soft but evil voice from the other room.

The three men in the room froze and looked to the doorway stiffly. Sesshomaru's face was in awe. "Mother?"

**End.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Start.**

"Mother?" Asked Sesshomaru in awe. "What are you doing here?"

A lady that looked like InuTaisho and Sesshomaru came out into the light. She had on a grey dress, but it had intricate designs on it with a bow that ties in the back. She had to ponytails on the top of her head, but it was only some strands so her hair was still down. She had on blue eye shadow and pink lipstick. "Can't a mother visit her son?"

"Not you. What do you want?" Sesshomaru's voice took on a colder tone now. "What do you want?"

Her eyes looked around the room and found InuYasha. "What's _he_ doing here?"

"That's my brother, mother. I'll ask you one more time: what do you want here?"

"Interesting." Her eyes kept scanning the room until they landed on me. "Is that…is that a human? There's really a human in this house! _This_ is what you've come to, InuTaisho, showing my Sesshomaru that being around humans and this half-breed is okay, how dare you taint my son that way." She was glaring at me.

"Shina, what business do you have here?" Asked InuTaisho from beside me. I didn't even notice that he'd moved.

She looked at me once more and I got an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something about her screamed 'Souleater' to me. "I just needed to give Sesshomaru this package." She made a small yellow package appear from her dress and handed it to Sesshomaru.

"Now that you've given this to me, be on your way out, mother. It was nice to see you well, now if you don't mind, I'm nursing a human back to health."

"I hate to interrupt, but what? I am healthy as a horse, thank you." Sesshomaru turned around and gave me the stink eye. "Sorry, Great Sesshomaru, just saying." I held my hands up in surrender.

His mother looked impressed. "She has guts. I was beginning to wonder if she even had a voice, but she has bravery. I like that. Brave makes spunk, and that's just what I want in the face of my next make-up shoot. Who are you, my lovely?"

I looked to Sesshomaru. "Can I answer that?" I asked him. Once his mother gave a small laugh, Sesshomaru relaxed.

"I'm not the one you should ask that to."

I turned to InuTaisho. "Mr. Takahashi, may I give her my name?"

He was looking hard at her. "For now, how about any communicating you two do is with me in the room."

"Yes sir." I looked at InuYasha, whose hard glare was fixed on Sesshomaru's mother.

His mother gave a nod. "Alright, I'll be in touch with you, InuTaisho. I'll see you around, my dear boy." She looked over to InuYasha. "Half-breed." She nodded and left and everyone else relaxed.

"In some way, I'm glad you sassed me in front of my mother. If you didn't I'm afraid she would've made a move to kill you." Sesshomaru opened the box and pulled out a necklace. "Why?"

"How about you and I talk to me in the office, Sesshomaru. InuYasha, take Kagome back into your room and let her rest."

InuYasha took me back through the maze that is his house and took me back into the room that I woke up in. "Do you have to use a map to find your way in this house?" I asked him.

He gave a low chuckle. "No, I know where I'm going." He guided me to lie down and he went through one of the three doors in the room and came back out with a dark red wash-cloth that was wet. "This should help with the pain."

"What pain? I'm not having any pain." So, that was a lie, I had a big headache.

"Stop lying to me, I know you by now, and you have a headache right now." He handed me the cloth to hold on my head, but then withdrew it, and then he folded it and held it up to my head for me.

"I'm not a child." I pouted at him.

"I know that, but I also know, that if I just trust you to hold it up, you won't, and you'll try to get out of this house through the window." He said to me.

"You think you know me, don't you?"

He chuckled. "No, I _know_ I know you." He was still smiling, and his smile was warm and care-free. I wish I knew that feeling, the feeling of being care-free.

"What does it feel like?"

His face turned more serious. "What does what feel like?"

"Being care-free, even for just a second. What's it like?" I was looking at the ceiling.

I could see that he was looking down at me. "Like you're on top of the world, like you are in control of what happens anywhere at any time, and it feels like where you are is the only place on earth. What about you, what's it like to not have a moment of peace, where _someone_ doesn't need you to be strong and a rock?"

"It feels like the opposite of what you just said. I don't know how to describe it. You don't get a lot of time to feel anything I guess. You don't have to worry about what someone else is doing because you're right there watching them do it."

"Is that why you don't open up to anyone? Is it because you have so many other people to be a rock for?"

"I don't know. I just don't know. So, having a brother, what's that like?"

He laughed and laid behind me. I was on my side and he was now behind me with an arm on my waist. "Horrible. He doesn't do anything to help me, he gets in my business and makes fun of me for it!"

"Isn't that what you do?" I laughed.

He shifted behind me. "Yeah, but when I do it it's cute."

I busted out laughing. "I never thought I'd hear you say the word 'cute' while referring to yourself."

"Whatever. So, what's it like being needed every second of everyday?"

"Busy. No, but really, there's not a lot of time that I have to myself, with school and the job and what not." I just shrugged.

"Hm. Do you ever have time to date or do stuff with Sango?"

"Figures you'd say date first. Sometimes, around Christmas, I have a little time to be social, but only a few hours a week, so no, not much."

"Why Christmas?" I sighed. "Let me guess, Halloween?" I nodded and smiled with my eyes closed. "Every question I ask you, the answer is Halloween, why?" He sighed from frustration. I hate to make him so mad, but I can't spill the secret so close, no matter how much I trust the person.

"Just think about the meanings. What do you think of when I say Halloween?"

"I think of you talking."

"Haha, funny. No, what emotion or rather adjective do you think of when you hear Halloween?"

"I think about evil."

"Now what do you think about when you hear Christmas?"

"Seeing you in a Santa suit?" I hit him the best I could, me facing away from him and all. "No, I think of goodness."

"So the two holidays are opposite, and that's where I draw the line." He tightened his grip on my waist.

"As long as you'll come around, I'll be right here waiting for you."

I snuggled into InuYasha's chest, where it was warm and inviting and I didn't want to leave.

I woke up with an InuYasha staring at me. "What?"

"That's the first time I've ever seen you look peaceful."

I yawned. "That's nice. Can I go home now? Wait, what time is it?" I shot up out of his arms and searched frantically for a clock.

He sat up slower. "Calm down, it's only four."

I sighed. "Good. Hey, can I go home to get changed? I have to work tonight."

He gave me look of not approving of my actions. "Why? You've already worked your ass off, and you got hurt coming back from that place. Why would you go back?"

I sighed and got up, but InuYasha wasn't having it. He wrapped his arm around my waist. "I need to go back. You just have to trust me." I shrugged out of his arm. "I have to go home, can you take me there because I have no clue how you got me here."

"Fine, but only if you eat with me when you have time to that is."

I smiled. "It's a-"

"Date." He finished.

"Deal." I said hesitantly. "I have to go, like, right now though."

He smirked. "Okay." And just like that, I was flying through woods. "Hold on tight."

"Well duh!" I was clinging to InuYasha's back like my life depended on it. "Where are we going?!"

"We're going to your house." One minute later we were at my front door. I got off of InuYasha's back and ran upstairs and checked my cell. I was going in until seven again, going in at five and it was four twenty. I took a quick shower and got dressed in the uniform. By the time I was ready to walk out the door, InuYasha was sitting on my couch talking to Sango.

"Why wasn't I invited to the party that's taking place in my house?" I asked them from the stairs.

Sango and InuYasha turned around to face me, but Sango spoke first. "Because we didn't want to peek in on you when you were all changing and stuff. Are you ready to go now, or do you want a moment alone with InuYasha?" She wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

I sighed. "No, I'll be fine if we just go. Tomorrow is Monday, so I hope you're ready. InuYasha, are you going home tonight or do you want to sleep over again, because I'm staying here tonight."

InuYasha huffed. "Yeah, but here's the thing, if I stay here, I'll have to go get stuff and bring it back here-"

"And you'd be walking out of her house without her, because I'm picking her up, remember Kagome?" Sango asked me. I do remember that I have to work until seven again.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Yeah, Sango is picking me up from work again. Sorry." I shrugged my shoulders.

InuYasha threw his head backwards. "Why?"

"Sango is working with me tonight." I told him, deadpan.

He opened one of his closed eyes and looked at us. "You two are the freakiest girls I know."

Sango laughed at him while I just smiled. "You don't even know the half of it."

"We should get going Sango, it's getting pretty late, and we have to be there soon."

She calmed her giggling fit. "I guess you're right. I'll see you tomorrow InuYasha. Let's go Kagome, and let's hope we don't have another last night."

"If you want to get specific, it happened this morning while walking back home, thank you."

"They sent one of those in plain daylight?"

I looked over to InuYasha who had a confused look on his face. "Yes, but we'll talk more about that in _the car_. I'll see you tomorrow InuYasha." I drug Sango out of the house and into her car. "Yes, they sent a Souleater after me in broad daylight. I don't know why, but they did, and he slashed me on the head and InuYasha ran me through my house and made me faint, so he took me over to his house and I stayed there and I heard Sesshomaru laugh." I took a breath through my mouth after I'd finished.

Sango looked at me in awe. "Really? _The_ Sesshomaru laughed?" I nodded. "I don't remember what about, but he did." I shrugged. "Alright, let's go get this done."

Sango and I arrived and I picked my normal weapons, but I wished I'd taken a sword tonight. Naraku paid me a visit. He put himself under a charm so I couldn't see him or hear him, and he tried to kidnap me, but I drug him through the mud so I could see him and I _almost_ killed him, but he moved at the last minute.

There was a minor cut on my throat, not deep enough to worry Kaede, and it had stopped bleeding. I was on the outside perimeter of her house by now, and so when I ran back, the others were engaged in battle.

"Kagome! Where the fuck have you been?" Asked Shi. She didn't like me _at all_.

"Getting kidnaped, bitch. Shut the fuck up and fight your damn battle." I ran right in and just started swinging knifes around. I killed off four of the eight of them, and climbed a tree. Shi didn't have _hers_ killed yet. Shi sucks ass. I knocked two arrows and shot two of the Souleaters. I threw a knife at another one. I saw the others try to help Shi.

"No, leave her if she's so good. No one interferes with her fight right now. If it gets out of hand, _I_ will step in." I looked at them hard. Everyone follows my command because they know I'm the best and they don't want to be challenged by me.  
Shi was losing, and she was losing badly. When the Souleater was about to finish her off, I shot it with an arrow and jumped down from the tree. "The next time you decide to yell at _me_ for where _I've_ been, you should remember who just saved your weak ass from being killed. Maybe you should sharpen your sword and not your tongue. Go back to the house and get someone else to cover your shift."

I turned around and walked away to keep guarding. It was almost time for me to go and Kikyo was about to leave when I heard her call my name.

"Kagome?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just, could you walk me to my car?" She looked scared.

"Sure. Did something happen last night? You look really creped out right now, and scared."

"Just a bad dream last night."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I didn't really want to hear about it, but hey, if she said thank you, I could listen to a silly dream.

"The Souleaters killed you and Sango then came for me. I woke up when Nobanaga woke me up from it and I was covered in sweat."

"Well, that won't ever happen to you, not at all. Do you think I'm going to let some dumbass Souleater kill me? Hell no I'm not going to let that happen to Sango or you either. You're perfectly safe as long as I'm alive, which will be a long time." I gave her a half-smile and she looked less scared.

"Thanks. I'll see you later."

I nodded and watched her drive off at seven. "What was that about? One of her dreams I guess?" Asked her father from behind me.

"Yeah, but she's not so scared anymore." I turned around and returned my gear. "I'll see you tonight."

He nodded. "Yes, and remember, the 17 isn't that far away." The 17 is my day off in October.

"It's Wednesday, I know." I got changed into my regular clothes and saw Sango with my stuff and some food. "Sango, I'd be lost without you."

She smiled. "I know it. So, you got _on_ Shi last night. Was it fun?"

"It was more fun than I thought it would be." I smiled brightly at her. Sango knows that I can't stand Shi, and everyone else does for that matter.

We drove to school and talked about the crap from last night, me almost being captured and all.

"So, what was it like?" I'm the only one in our fleet that _hasn't_ been captured before, and I wasn't really captured last night.

"It felt like I was helpless. Do you know how much I _hate_ that feeling? It's so annoying when I don't know what I'm doing and I can't do anything." I crossed my arms and pouted. We'd gotten all of our homework done that weekend.

Sango laughed. "I know you do, and you _still_ managed to get away, so you weren't really helpless." She continued giggling.

"Yeah, and if you don't stop giggling, you're _going_ to stop breathing." I made idle threats around Sango, but she still calmed herself.

I was still pouty when we walked into first period. "Why's my Kagome all sad and pouty this morning?" Asked InuYasha.

"She was almost kidnaped this morning and she didn't like it." Sango smirked down at me.

InuYasha's eyes got wide. "That's it. Where do you work, that place is too dangerous for me to just not worry about you."

Sango and I smiled at him. "Did you not hear me say 'almost'? InuYasha, she's the only one in our group that _hasn't_ been kidnaped."

InuYasha looked at Sango. "You've been kidnaped before?"

Sango just laughed. "Yes, I have. And Nobanaga, I think you've met him, he's been kidnaped too." Sango just kept on giggling.

"Well damn Kagome, you must be a damn good fighter." InuYasha was in slight awe.

"She's the best we got, and we're proud of it, and that's why Miroku and she joke around so much."

"Don't worry Sango, I'm not trying to steal your man from you." I saw Miroku creep up behind Sango.

"You see, Kagome knows that we are meant for each other, so why not try it. You and me on a date."

Sango looked thoughtful. "And you won't touch me inappropriately?" Sango asked him cautiously.

Miroku just smiled at her. "I promise."

Sango sighed. "Alright. But I expect you to pick me-"

"I expect me to act like a gentleman and pick you up and drop you off, I'll walk you to the door and hold it open for you, and I'm paying, so don't even bring your purse, just bring you and clothes and your phone. Well, if you're on that time, you might want to bring a purse, but other than that, you don't need to." Miroku smiled at the end, and Sango and my mouths dropped open, but InuYasha had an amused look on his face.

"Why are you laughing InuYasha?" I asked in bewilderment. "He's _never_ said _anything_ like that in his life _ever_."

"I would love to if you'll actually _do_ the stuff."

"Hell, _I'd_ go out on a date with him if he'd do that stuff." I said, much to the unhappiness of InuYasha.

"If _I_ said all that and promised to do it, would you go out with _me_?" He asked, a small glint in his eyes.

"Yeah, I would."

"If _Koga_ promised to do that, would you?" An annoyed InuYasha asked me.

"I might just, if he didn't have to leave for a drop." I smiled at him, but he still looked sad. I couldn't pester him about it now though, because Myoga walked in and class begun.

InuYasha avoided me all day today. He didn't even sit with us at lunch today, he sat in the library.

"Don't worry yourself too much Kagome, I'm sure he has a good reason for leaving you."

"Yeah, but I wish I knew what that reason is." I looked at the door with worry and hope, sort of aware that Sango, Miroku and Sesshomaru were giving me looks. "What are you three looking at me like that for?"

"You really don't see it, do you?" Asked Sesshomaru.

"What am I not seeing?" I asked to no one in particular.

Sango and Miroku just shook their heads in exasperation. "Kagome, can you really not see that InuYasha has feelings for you? I mean, just look at the way he looks at you." Sesshomaru was the only one talking. "He really likes you and I think it hurt him when you said you'd go out on a date with Koga this morning."

I gave him a look. "I wasn't being serious about any of the three that I said, no offence Miroku."

Sesshomaru sighed. "I think you'd better go tell _him_ that." Said Sesshomaru.

"Should I go talk to him now or later?" I asked Sesshomaru.

He sighed. "I can't tell you that Kagome. I _still_ can't believe you don't see it."

"What am I supposed to be seeing that I'm _not_?!" I shouted, but only at them.

Sango gave me a hard look. "Listen, I know that Hinten hurt you, but-"

I stood up abruptly. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sango. That has _nothing_ to do with the situation that I'm in." I closed my eyes, trying to get the memories of _him_ out of my mind.

Sango stood up with me. "No Kagome, he has _everything _to do with what's going on right now!" We were still undetected.

Sesshomaru looked to Miroku. "Perhaps this isn't the best time to tell you Sesshomaru." Wisely said Miroku.

"I'm leaving." I grabbed my stuff and headed outside in the colder than normal weather. I walked to the library to find InuYasha. When I did, he was sitting in the far corner, looking sad and depressed. I walked up to the table he was at, but he didn't notice me. "I know why you're avoiding me." I said to him.

His head shot up, and he stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have-"

"Have to do or go what or where, InuYasha? You went in here to avoid me, and I know why. I just want you to know that I wasn't being serious this morning about Koga _or_ Miroku, okay?"

He looked at me through his bangs. "You really don't get it do you?"

I sighed. "First Sango, Miroku and Sesshomaru tell me I'm missing something, now you. What the _hell am I MISSING_?" The librarian glared at me to shush me, but I didn't care.

InuYasha gave me a look of disbelief. "You really don't have a clue, do you?"

I tried to calm myself. "Whatever _clue_ you want me to get, I will try my fucking hardest to get it, okay?" I was still trying to calm myself.

He sighed. "If you don't get it now, you never will."

I opened my eyes and saw him looking sadder than when I came in here. I'd been hoping that I would find another person to try and trust, and then here InuYasha comes and gives me that second chance that I needed, but then he just ruined it, like everything else in my life, it's gone. For the first time since _him who shall not be named_, I felt real tears spring up behind my eyes, but I wouldn't allow them to fall. Anytime you cry it means you've cared too much or hoped too much, and I _hate_ that feeling.

Before he could say anything more, I turned and left. During all my other classes with the others I ignored them, and during seventh, I sat away from all of them. I shot out of seventh and ran home by myself with all my stuff.

When I got home, my mother was gone, so I just started on my homework and changed. I still had thirty minutes before I had to go, but I left anyway without eating, but I drank some 5-Hour. I ran as fast as I could to HQ and Ichijo was shocked to see me there so early.

"I know you like to be early, but this is a bit extreme even for you." I didn't respond. "What's wrong." He said rather than asked.

"Nothing. Can I just start now and end at seven like normal?"

Ichijo looked at his watch. "Kagome, it's only four-thirty-five, are you sure you want to start now?"

I nodded my head and he looked worried. I stepped forward and grabbed everything I needed. Sango wasn't on duty tonight, so at least I had that going in my favor.

Tonight was the worst night I'd had in a while, and when I say that, there were more Souleaters that came tonight than I can remember. I fought most of them and took my anger on InuYasha and Sango and everything else out on them. It was seven-fifteen, and I was about to run when Kikyo came up to me.

"I notice Sango isn't here, do you want a ride?" I know she's trying to be nice, but hail not from her.

"No, thank you though. I'd rather run, thanks for the offer though." She nodded and got into her car.

At school, I stayed with Kaede in the nurse's office. "Kaede, can you give me a pass that says I'm staying with you through first period?" I whined to her.

She gave a small laugh. "Alright, but only because Ichijo is worried about you." She wrote me a note right as the final bell rang.

"I'll be right back." I walked out the door and walked to Myoga's room. When I walked in, Sango's, Sesshomaru's, Miroku's and InuYasha's eyes were all on me, but I didn't dare look back at them. I walked over to Myoga and gave him the note.

"Miss Higurashi, why are you staying up there this morning?" He asked, just curious.

I shrugged. "She said she wanted to see me, I can't help it." He nodded and turned around, not meeting _their_ eyes. I walked out of the room and felt a huge pang in my chest that was all too familiar to me.

When I got back to Kaede's office, she was gone but she left me a note that said she'd be back soon, and that if anyone came in to see her, that she trusted me to care for them. Some kid got a cut in gym and would not stop crying about it.

"Look kid, you're going to be fine. I cleaned the wound, and now I'm going to cover it. All _you_ have to do, is repeat this until the cut is gone." Stupid freshman.

She sniffled. "R-really?" She wiped her nose on her sleeve.

I turned around and gave her a tissue. "I promise." I gave her a big smile, and she smiled just as brightly back at me. I wrote her a note and she skipped back to class.

"You are quite good at that. You should consider this as a future for you, _if_ you can manage to stay _out_ of trouble that is." Came Kaede's voice from the door.

One of the administers popped her head through the door. "Kaede, we need you to go on a meeting trip today, do you want me to call the sub?"

Kaede looked at me. "I think I already have one. Send an email out to all of Kagome Higurashi's teachers and tell them that she'll be covering me today." The lady nodded, and did it. "I hope you can handle this today" The lady popped her head back in and told Kaede it was time to go. "Good luck, I know you can handle this."

I smiled at her. "I won't be nearly as good as you are though. Have fun and bye." I watched her as she left me alone in her office. There goes the rest of my day. I asked the lady if she could have Koga bring my work up to me, even though he didn't have _any_ of my classes with me.

The next thing I know, Koga is standing in the doorway. "So, what's this I hear about you being the new nurse?" He asked my, flashing me a toothy grin.

"What happened to that trip you were going on?" I asked him, amused by him.

He gave a sad sigh. "They canceled, something about too many cops at the time with some murder case I think." He shrugged, papers under his arm. "Here you go, my lady."

I smiled and took the extended papers with a smile. "Thank you for taking time out of class to do this."

He huffed. "Like I _want_ to spend time in one of those classes. And your psychology teacher said that there's a test in there that you need to complete in the next ten minutes, so I'd get to it."

I looked through the papers and found it and completed all of it with the right answers. I handed the test back to him, along with all my homework from the weekend. "Could you bring this back to all my teachers please?"

He gave me a smirk. "Of course. I'll be sure to get banged up sometime today."

I giggled a little. "Do me a favor, and if Sango, Miroku, Sesshomaru or InuYasha ask where I am, tell them I went home. Wait, tell Sango I don't want to talk to her and the other three that I went home, but if they're together, then-"

He laughed. "Kagome, I know what you mean. Why are you avoiding them?"

"I don't want to talk about it." My voice was hard.

He got a look of understanding on his face. "Okay. I'll see you later then." He nodded, and I waved.

Being a nurse isn't fun. I got SO bored. I did all of my homework, and just chilled. I didn't want to eat lunch, so I stayed up there. When school let out, I raced to the front doors, and ran home as fast as I could. I chugged two Dr. Peppers, and ate half of a mini-muffin and ran back out the door to see Ichijo. Sango still isn't on tonight.

"Kagome, why are you here?" Asked Ichijo from behind me.

"I don't have anywhere else to be tonight, so why not."

He gave me a sigh. "I know something is up with you, but I won't pester you about it. Have you slept?"

"Yes." I lied. I took the pills. I still have two more from the last time Koga got them for me.

He gave me a look. "Okay, go if you want to." I don't know what time it is, all I know is that the Souleaters are increasing their attacks, but so did we. We actually had _good_ people here tonight.

The same thing happened this morning as it did yesterday. Kikyo asked me if I wanted a ride and I said no, then ran to school, still without eating. I hung out in Kaede's office until the bell rang for us to go to class, and this time I did. I had a rough draft of the paper in my bag, and silently handed it to Sesshomaru, and went to sit at the opposite side of the room.

The rest of the day went on like that, and at lunch, I went up to Kaede's again and helped her with her patients. My 'friends' looked like they wanted to say something to me, but they never do. I looked at my phone, making sure Kikyo's dad didn't want me there tonight, being today is my day off this month, and sure enough, he DIDN'T want me to come in tonight, so I was going to be bored. I think Sango has to work though.

When the day ended, I ran home and locked the doors and windows. My mom is gone, meaning on a business trip for a while, so I didn't have to worry about her right now. I went upstairs and took a shower and put on my Coraline long pants, and a Corpse Bride long-sleeved tee and laid on my bed and listened to music and watched the sun set as time went on without me.

I wonder what InuYasha and Sesshomaru are doing. I wonder how Sango is doing. I got sick of doing nothing before I got my uniform on and ran over there to make _sure_ they didn't need me, and it's a damn good thing I did too. Those damn Souleaters were about to get Kikyo and kill Nobanaga, I killed all of them with minor injuries, and saved Kikyo and Nobanaga.

"Damn, they're reproducing fast." Said Nobanaga after I saved him. Sango had been knocked out, and so had the other guard.

"I'll keep watch for now." I said to Kikyo's father.

He nodded. "We are _so_ lucky that you came by just on your own whim. Thank you so much, we owe you one." I just nodded, and took my post.

There was no more activity that night, and Kikyo hugged me…she _hugged_ me. "Thank you so much for showing up here at just the right time." She was squeezing me.

My arms were just limp at my sides. "It's okay, really. I just got bored, and I'm glad I did." She let me go.

"Please, let me give you a ride. It's better than you running, and you haven't had food in forever."

"I ate two days ago at dinner, I'll be fine." I smiled at her.

She looked at me in bewilderment. "How can you live for so long without food and _still_be able to do all of this?"

I just shrugged. "I'll be just fine, but I'd better go get my stuff." I ran back to my house, ate the other half of the mini-muffin, and ran out the door, still in my uniform until I just changed my shirt into a purple graphic tee.

When I got to school, Sesshomaru handed me a final copy of the paper, which I read on the other side of the room. I liked it well enough and nodded at Sesshomaru and gave him the paper back, and he nodded back at me and slipped something inside of my hand when I walked back.

_I know you're upset with us, but please, just look at InuYasha. He's lost without you by his side. I know he might have said something to hurt you, and I'm sure he'll apologize for it. I'm sorry about the way I carried on at lunch a few days ago, and so are Sango and Miroku. I'll talk to you later._

I looked back at Sesshomaru who was looking at me. I smiled and nodded, signaling that he was forgiven. InuYasha's eyes were on me the whole time.

After class, Sesshomaru caught up with me. "Thank you for giving the note a chance."

I shrugged. "It's nothing."

"But it _is something. _Miroku told me about what happened with you and someone else, and if I'd known that had happened, I wouldn't have said anything about it, and neither would InuYasha. I am so sorry that I caused so much pain for you."

I smiled weakly at him. "It's all good."

He looked over at me. "You know my father is about to beat the shit out of InuYasha because he won't get over his damn pride and apologize. He wants grandchildren that look like you." Sesshomaru and I both just looked at each other and laughed.

"Well, maybe I'll come pay him a visit."

"You could come over this weekend, about noon on Saturday." He invited me over.

"I could, but I don't think it would be the best idea. It's Thursday, and I don't think anything is going to change between now and then." I shrugged.

"Well then you would be _my_ guest. Would you do me the honor?"

I sighed. "Sure, why not." I realized something. "The last time I was over at your house, I wasn't awake, so I don't know how to get over there."

"I will pick you up. I know where you live, so it ought not be a problem." He smiled at me. He's cute, but InuYasha's better looking, not that they're both not cute, but still.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I have to leave at around four, okay."

He nodded. "Okay, that works for me."

"Knowing InuYasha, I'll have to leave about five minutes after I get there." I laughed a harsh laugh.

Sesshomaru huffed. "I highly doubt that. Unless he rapes you, you won't be leaving that soon."

"I'll see you later." I smiled.

He got serious. "Kagome? Will you sit with us tomorrow in class and today at lunch? We were worried about you, and Sango is still worried about you, saying something about _you not eating in TWO DAYS, Kagome._ Why did she say that?"

"I ate this morning when I got in."

"What did you eat?"

I mumbled what I ate, knowing Sesshomaru could detect me if I lied.

"I didn't catch that."

"Half of a mini-muffin." I mumbled again, but he heard it this time.

He sighed. "Kagome, I think InuYasha is right, you have an aversion to eating."

"No I don't, and I'm going to be late for class, thank you." He gave me a disapproving look, but let me go.

At lunch, when I was going to go to Kaede's office, someone hoisted me over his shoulder and carried me off to a table, and when he sat me down, I was met with Sesshomaru's eyes and a tray full of food. "Eat, now." I kept looking from Sesshomaru, to the food, and then back to Sesshomaru, and back and forth. "Kagome, you're not eating."

"Well, I know that. I'm wondering why on earth you captured me and brought me here at this table, which will be full of people that hate me."

He sighed. "They'll get the hell over it, and you need to eat something." I looked up and they were coming through the door, and they saw me and Sesshomaru, who was sitting across from me. I looked back at Sesshomaru, took a bite of an apple that was there, and stood.

"Not that this wasn't fun, but I have an appointment with Kaede." I turned and left through another door, aware of someone following me. I got to Kaede's office, and she was tending to the same girl that got a cut on Monday. "Hey Kaede, what's happening?"

The girl looked up. "Hey! You healed my cut the other day!"

I just nodded my head. "Where is Sesshomaru, he said something about force-feeding you today."

"He tried, but I was too fast for him. I took a bite of an apple and left."

Kaede finished up, and the girl left. "Kagome, you need to eat more, or I'll be forced to refer you to the councilor about you being anorexic."

I sighed. "I'm not anorexic Kaede, I can't afford to be right now."

"So, I hear you and InuYasha had a _big_ fight, and I also hear that you saved the day yesterday night."

"Yes to both." I spent the rest of the lunch period telling Kaede about last night's save, and then I left to my other classes.

During seventh, Sesshomaru captured me again, and tried to force-feed me a sandwich. "Sesshomaru, I _don't want the sandwich_."

"Kagome, I _don't give a damn._"

I rolled my eyes. "Sesshomaru, I'm not going to eat in here and that's _final_." We were sitting in the front of the room, away from the others.

He sighed. "Kagome, you are either going to eat now, or I'll get _someone_ over here to help me force-feed you, like that movie night a while back."

I hated the memory of InuYasha's lips on mine with the candy sticking out of his mouth and Miroku helping him. Maybe I _wasn't_ seeing something after all.

"Big deal, you won't do it though." I'd managed to take all the class time doing this bantering and the bell was about to ring and when it did, I ran out of that room like a bat out of hell.

My efforts were for naught though, for Sesshomaru caught me right as I was leaving the front doors of the school. "Sesshomaru! Let me go!" I started kicking, but my training didn't cover how to get out of this type of situation. I just kicked my hardest and pushed on his back.

"Nope, not until I see you eat something."

I sighed. "You've seen me eat, why are you kidnaping me _again_?" He walked to his car, the one InuYasha rides in. He put me in the middle of the backseat and tied me using the seatbelt. "What are you doing?" He was looking through the trunk for something.

"Looking for this." He came around to the open door with a blue and green rope.

"Oh, hell no, no!" I started kicking to get away from him. "Help me!" I hoped someone would hear me. He released me, and I tried to make a run for it, and I got two spaces away from the car, but he caught me.

"Kagome, this is _going_ to happen." He tied the rope around me six times and tied the knot tightly. "Now then, let's go to my house, shall we?"

I was still struggling. "Let's not go to your house right now, I have to work."

"All I'm going to do it make you eat and I'll drive you right back home." He put me in the front seat, and I didn't notice that InuYasha was in the back seat, looking up at me.

**End chapter. And, it's HIM who shall not be named, not HE who shall not be named. I love me some Harry Potter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Begin.**

The way to Sesshomaru and InuYasha's house was full of tension, but you couldn't feel it from me yelling at Sesshomaru.

"Untie me right NOW!" I kept trying to get out of the rope but damn, Sesshomaru could tie a knot, and I was getting major rope burn.

He sighed. "How many times have we been over this, Kagome?"

"Too many." InuYasha grumbled softly, hoping I didn't hear, but when I glared at him through the rear-view mirror.

Sesshomaru pulled over and started yelling at InuYasha. "Shut the fuck up InuYasha! No one was talking to you, so keep your mouth _shut_." While those two were arguing, I took my chance. I'd gotten the ropes a bit more lose than they were. I slipped my hand through two of the ropes and got my finger nail to try and untie the knot, which wasn't that hard. The door was unlocked, so I had to see about something. I moved forward then backwards to see if they'd notice. InuYasha sort of noticed, but Sesshomaru was focused on yelling at InuYasha.

I made a bolt for the door handle, and jumped out, the rope lose around my torso. I ran as fast as I could back to the school. Behind me when I got to the school, I saw Sesshomaru's car zooming up behind me, and InuYasha running beside it. I jumped up the stairs and ran inside to Kaede, hoping she was still there. Sadly, she wasn't there, so I ran up some more stairs to the roof, and ran to an end where there's a tree that I can reach. I got to the end of the roof and looked down and all around to make sure they hadn't followed me. I jumped down on the tree and got scratched some, but then climbed my way down, making sure no one was following me.

I jumped from the bottom branch, but something went wrong and I slipped and landed on my side. It was going to leave a nasty bruise, but I got up and took off running through the woods and to my house using the shortcut.

I made it there without them seeing, but Sesshomaru's car was in my driveway, and InuYasha was trying to band my door down. My phone was in my pocket, so I just ran to HQ and met with Ichijo.

"What are you doing here? You don't live here." Ichijo was joking around, so he was in a better mood.

I smiled. "I was captured, and now they're at my house, so I came here." I shrugged, but he looked worried.

"Are you in danger?"

I laughed. "No, I'm not, but they won't leave for a while, so I might as well be here, and do you have-." He'd already gotten another uniform out for me and I smiled at him. "You know me all too well." I took the uniform and changed into it in the bathroom, and came back out. "I like this one. Did you guys change it?"

"Yeah, we changed the design, and since you're our best, did you want to change your uniforms? We'll get you a whole new set of them and all, no charge of course." He smiled at the end of the sentence.

I raised a brow. "And whose idea was that exactly?"

"Mine. Kikyo's father just agreed to it." He shrugged at the end of his statement. "So, what do you say?"

"Sure, I'd love some of these. Will Sango get a few as well?"

"Do you _want_ Sango to get a few of them? You can give two other people these uniforms with no cost to them."

"Then yes, I choose Sango as one of them, and Nobanaga as the other one." I smile at the end.

"Well, thank you, Kagome. I like those if I do say so myself. I was going to buy some of them, but now I don't have to." I turned around to face him, a smirk on his face. He wasn't bad looking, but he didn't entice me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him as he walked over to give me a 'hello' hug.

"I have a five to twelve tonight. What are _you_ doing here so early? I drove by your house, but there were two silver haired demons there, one of them that InuYasha fellow you're so fond of." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Yeah, well, not anymore." I looked down and he understood.

"Do you want to take a walk since I have time before I go?"

"You mean 'we', I'm coming with you guys tonight. I have nothing else to do." I shrugged my shoulders. "Sure, I'll walk with you." I walked next to him through the gardens.

"So, what's going on with you and this boy?"

I gave a sigh. "My friends all think he likes me likes me, and they say I don't see it, and in the library, I confronted him about it, and he said that if I didn't see it now, I wouldn't ever see it, so I left him in the library, and he'd been avoiding me all day. It started that morning when Miroku asked Sango out on a date and he said all this romantic crap that made me sick in all honesty, and I joked around that I'd go out with him if he did it, then InuYasha asked me the same thing about him and Koga." I huffed out a breath when I was done.

Nobanaga looked shocked for a minute. "Well, that certainly is a lot to take in all at once, but nothing I can't help you with. Try talking to him."

"You know my pride won't allow that. And to make it worse, Sango threw _him_ in my face at lunch."

He looked at me hard. "She did, did she?" I nodded. "Well, Kagome, I know this isn't going to be fun for you to hear, but you do need to get over that."

"How can I?! He _abused_ me and then tried to _rape_ me! That kind of shit takes a while, and you're _never_ going to be the same after it! What happens if he's another Hinten?! What am I supposed to do then? I can't, _can't_, cry anymore, Nobe, I can't." I wrapped my arms around myself.

He sighed. "Look, I know it's hard, but you have to forgive him for it. Forgiveness is not-."

"For you, it's for the other person." I finished for him. "I've heard that non-stop for a while now, if anyone else says that to me, I'm going to kill them." I glared at the ground.

"Why don't you go get some help."

"What, like see a crazy doctor? I don't think so, Nobe, I'm not going to do that, I don't _need_ anyone else's help, I'll be fine without it."

He sighed. "Kagome, you mean you don't _want_ anyone else's help. You do need it, but you won't ask."

"I don't need it, I was fine before this happened and I'll be fine after."

"Kagome, what the hell are you talking about? You were _not_ fine before, and you sure as hell won't be fine after. Come on Kagome, you need help."

"No I don't. Can we just drop it for right now, okay?" I wanted to kill some demons tonight.

"Fine, but if I don't see improvement, I'm telling Ichijo on you. I want to see you and InuYasha and Sango and Miroku talking to one another."

"How did you know that Sesshomaru was talking to me?" I asked him.

"I don't, I just forgot his name." He shrugged. We got into the black van and rode off to Kikyo's house.

They didn't send out much tonight, only about ten. I killed all of them again. Nobanaga, Nobe for short, was waiting for me.

"I thought you might need this back." He gestured behind him to where my bag was all packed and another set of clothes was waiting for me on the seat. "And you might be hungry, considering you're anorexic."

I laughed but got in anyway. "So, why are you here?" I asked as he shoved a bagel in my mouth.

"I'm giving you a ride to school, what does it look like?" I looked around his car. "It's just us right now, Kagome. I don't know them well enough for them to be in my car." He drove me to school and we talked about what I was going to do about college. I was going to go, but it might be hard with Kikyo and all, but I think that if I kill Naraku, that they'll settle down and I can hold off for four or five years.

He pulled up to the curb, and Sesshomaru, InuYasha, Miroku and Sango were all looking around for something or someone and I turned to Nobanaga. "Nobe, what am I going to do?"

He laughed at me and I glared at him. "Just be the brave little you I know you are and go for it." He leaned forward and gave me a fatherly kiss on the forehead. He was like a dad to me.

"Fine, but if I die, it's _your_ fault." I laughed and so did he.

"Remember your bag when you go, okay?"

"Okay, papa." I rolled my eyes and he threw his head back and laughed.

"Go one with yourself, would you, little girl?" He kept laughing and I laughed with him. I walked to the back and got my bag from the backseat. "Do you want a ride this afternoon to avoid a capture again?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Funny, and sure, that would be cool I guess." I waved goodbye and watched as he drove off, leaving me to die by the hands of my 'friends'. When I turned around, Sesshomaru's eyes met mine. "Sesshomaru?"

I didn't have time to react before he pulled me into a hug. "That scared all of us you know. You are a tricky little girl, did you know that?"

He backed away. "Yeah, I do that when I'm captured, try to get away that is." I looked at him funny. "Wait, did you just say 'all of us'?"

He smirked. "I did. You had InuYasha nearly pissing his pants. All night he was in his room walking back and forth, wondering if you were still alive or if you were in an ally somewhere like that one day, and if you needed help. He then set off to your house and tried to see you, but you weren't there and that made it worse." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes at what he was saying about his brother.

I giggled. "That's nice. I left for work and Nobe drove me here."

He didn't look happy. "I see that. Do you have any idea of the amount of sleep I lost due to _him_? It was a lot just so you know."

I sighed. "What do you want me to do for you to make it up?"

"Eat for me."

"I can't, Nobe shoved a bagel in my mouth on the way over here." I shrugged my shoulders, and as if on cue, Nobanaga came driving back and he stepped out of the car.

"Kagome, what the fuck is this?" He held up the bagel that I took three nibbles out of and then folded up in a napkin and put it in the door.

"Um…I'll take a pass?" I tried to move backwards, but ran into Sesshomaru. If you're wondering, I've been taking more of the pills for not sleeping.

Nobanaga was glaring at me, Sesshomaru was glaring _down_ on me, it was just a glare fest. "Kagome, you said you ate." Said Sesshomaru from behind me, sounding rather unhappy.

"I did. Do you see that? Do you know how much effort I had to put in to eat that much!"

InuYasha piped up next. "Bullshit, Kagome, you can eat more than that, I've see you do it."

"InuYasha, stay out of my business, it's not your concern." I yelled at him. A memory came back to me all of a sudden.

_ Flashback:_

_ InuYasha kept a hold of my hand, but was glaring right through me into my soul. "Just like I don't call you weak, you don't say that anything having to do with you isn't my concern, because it is. I'm _making it_ my business. I care about what happened to you, what going to happen to you, and I sure as hell care about what's happening _to _you."_

_ InuYasha stopped glaring, but kept his hand on mine._

_ Flashback end._

He looked at me hard, like that day in my kitchen. "What did I tell you about that?"

"I don't care. Nothing about anything about me is ANYONE'S business!" Nobe didn't look fazed, and neither did Miroku, Sango or Sesshomaru, but the only one who did look offended, and mad as hell, was InuYasha.

In a flash I was being choked by InuYasha's hand. I wasn't fast enough to stop him, so I fell into his arms, unconscious.

**End.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Begin.**

When I woke, I was in the same room as before when I passed out with InuYasha. I got up and went through the windy way to get to the kitchen, but no one was there, so I went to InuTaisho's study.

Right before my hand reached the door, I heard a voice. "Come on in, Kagome."

I opened the door, and there sat InuTaisho. "Mr. Takahashi?"

He took his reading glasses off and stood up. "I am so sorry, please, let me look at your neck." He walked over to me and grabbed my chin gently and lifted my chin so he could look at my neck. "Mmhmm." He said as he examined my neck. "Well, I'm glad to say that my brat son didn't do much to you, however, you will still need to be cared for. Why is it that every time I see you, you're hurt and passed out?"

I gave a small laugh. "It's the occupational hazard." I shrugged and we laughed a little.

"This house has missed you. InuYasha has missed you. InuYasha has missed you. InuYasha HAS MISSED YOU." He was stressing by the end of his sentence.

"It's okay, I'm talking to Sesshomaru maybe."

InuTaisho gave me a look. "Maybe?"

"Yes, you'd be a little cautious if someone kidnaped you _twice_ and shoved food in your mouth too, wouldn't you?" I smiled a half-smile.

He gave me a toothy grin. "Yes, I suppose I would. Now, was InuYasha with you?" He thought about it. "I guess not or I would've heard some yelling up there."

I gave an empty giggle. "I guess you would've heard some banging."

Speaking of bangs, the door to InuTaisho's office was kicked down by none other than InuYasha. "Father, why didn't you tell me she was awake?" InuYasha's eyes had a red tint to them.

"InuYasha, calm down right now, you're about to turn full demon."

I felt a sudden pang of guilt in my chest, knowing that I caused that. "Is there anything I can do?"

Four golden eyes looked to me. "There is. You can take back what you fucking said at school that fucking brought you here." InuYasha said.

"InuYasha, I understand your anger, but that is _no_ way to talk to a lady, or in the air of one either." InuTaisho looked hard and cold at his son.

InuYasha looked like he was about to fight him, but I stepped forward. "I'm sorry I said that InuYasha." I said quietly. "I didn't mean to say it."

His head turned to me, eyes calmer, but still raging. "What are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry I said that anything to do with me isn't your business."

"And _why_ are you sorry?"

Bastard. "Because…"

He walked over to me and stopped when our bodies were five inches apart. "Because why, Kagome? Why are you sorry?"

I sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry because you told me not to say that."

"And _why_ did I tell you not to say that in the first place?" InuYasha asked me, more calm than he was before.

"You said that anything having to do with me is your concern and you care about what happened to me, what will happen to me, and sure as hell care what's happening _to_ me." I copied his exact words.

He smiled. "So you _do_ remember that day in your kitchen."

"How could I not, you scared me that day." InuYasha was the only one in the room smiling. InuTaisho looked tense and like he was about to jump in the second he was needed, and I was looking deadpan at InuYasha.

"Shall we?" He stepped aside and showed the door.

"Shall we do what? What do you want me to do?" I asked.

He sighed. "Kagome, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, and I don't think you'll like the hard way very much."

InuTaisho pushed his son away from me. "Listen to me InuYasha, you _will not _harm this girl. I think you've put her through enough hell, don't you?"

"Excuse me? The hell _I_ put _her_ through? What about the hell she put _me_ through." InuYasha exclaimed.

"Son, have you _seen_ her yet? You only look mildly affected, but she looks like she's been through hell and back a few times. Do you see how meek she is right now? She looks more fragile than a human girl should! So, yes InuYasha, the hell _you_ put _her_ through."

InuYasha's mouth dropped open slightly and he looked over to my face. Even though it's only been a week, I could feel my size six jeans getting a little bigger and I found myself wearing more of my two and four jeans. I haven't slept all week, well sort of if you don't count InuYasha trying to kill me.

I looked back at him. The bags under his eyes showed that he hadn't slept. He looks worse than I do. He gave a sigh and walked to me where InuTaisho got out of his way after he finished his ranting. He took me and embraced me tightly. It reminded me of how warm I once felt, and how loved I was when I was with him, and I missed his hugs, they were nice.

"I'm sorry I said what I did to you in the library. I was just mad that you wouldn't be serious about the date, and I thought that you were serious about Koga. I shouldn't expect you to get the clue, Sesshomaru and Miroku told me what happened. I should've apologized to you, but I was a coward and I didn't do it." His grip tightened on me.

I wrapped my arms around his torso. "I'm sorry too."

He nuzzled his face into my hair and breathed in my scent. "I missed your scent so much."

"I missed the warmth your hugs bring." I snuggled closer to my warm InuYasha. Or, just _the_ warm InuYasha. He's not mine.

I felt him smile into my hair. "You think my hugs are warm?" His voice was muffled slightly by my messy hair.

"They are." His smile got bigger. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing anymore." We held each other tighter if at all possible, my head sideways on his shoulder and chest, and his arms around my shoulders and waist and his nose in my hair.

After a minute or two, InuTaisho spoke up. "Not that this isn't leading me to my beautiful grandchildren with black hair, which I _love_ by the way, should we get a move on to the living room?"

I looked up and nodded. When I tried to get away from him though, he only let go of my shoulders and kept an arm around my waist. "We're ready." InuYasha said and smiled, all the red from his eyes all gone.

We started walking, and InuYasha didn't drop his arm on my waist and I didn't drop mine on his. We got into the living room, and Sango and Miroku smiled gleefully while Sesshomaru grinned. "Well, look at what we have here. Is this a new couple I presume?" Sango laughed.

"You know why Sango."

"Know why what? You _just_ said my hugs were warm." Great, InuYasha was getting mad at me again.

"Can we talk about this later?" I sighed.

"Fine, but we _will_ talk."

"Okay. Now what do we do?" I asked. Everyone looked around and shrugged at one another.

"I have a date to get ready for, so I'm going to get ready. I have to pick Rin up in an hour."

My eyes went wide and Sango saw it. "Kagome, Ichijo texted me, you'll have to be there in an hour and a half, so you have some time. Oh, that reminds me!" Sango jumped up and ran at me and gave me a hug, which was awkward with InuYasha still hanging on to me. "Thank you so much! Ichijo told me about what you did and he gave me the stuff and I love them! Thank you so much!" She hugged me, but InuYasha wouldn't let me go.

"I want in on this!" Miroku yelled and joined the group hug next to me and Sango. "Hang on and trust me." I heard InuYasha whisper before I felt InuYasha's hand on my ass.

InuYasha's hand was on my ass. My eyes went wide, and he gave me a look as if to say I'm-protecting-you-from-Miroku. "Why InuYasha, you sly dog you." Miroku said.

"Miroku, how would you know if my hand was there if you weren't trying to reach down there yourself?"

"Why InuYasha, I was only trying to get you to express your feelings in a more outward way."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, but as a joke, broke InuYasha's hold on me and fit himself between me and InuYasha, making InuYasha reach over and loop a finger through one of my belt loops so he could hang onto me.

"Look at this!" There was a flash and a snap and InuTaisho was behind the camera. "I want to join!" InuTaisho was just a little kid but in an adult form. He joined us and we all had a big group hug.

Sesshomaru broke off first. "I have to go get ready for my date."

"I _still_ can't believe that Rin said yes to you." Sesshomaru hit InuYasha in the head, but went upstairs to his room. InuYasha brought the rest of us to the basement to his bowling alley. We played until I had to go and change into my new uniform and I won all games, thank you much.

When I got home, I changed into the uniform and ran back downstairs. "Well, what do you think Sango?" I spun in a circle for her and she smiled.

"I think it looks good."

"I think it looks great." InuYasha said, giving me that look.

I sighed. "Sango, could you give InuYasha and me a moment alone please? He wants to talk to me about something.

She nodded and left the room and InuYasha's face turned serious. "What was that shit about at my house? Why won't you be with me?"

I did a double take. "Say what? When did you ask?"

"I didn't, but you said my hugs were warm! That's a sure sign that you're into someone! So-"

"So you just thought I would say yes? No, I won't, not this month. Maybe later on, but not right now. My busiest time is fast coming, and I can't afford to have any distractions, not that you would be one, but just in case."

He sighed. "I guess I really should've asked you first, shouldn't I?"

"Yes, you should have indeed, but I won't hold it against you." I shrugged it off and he gave me a show-stopping smile. "I have to go."

"Can I give you one of my warm and friendly hugs before you leave me, maybe for the last time?"

I looked at him funny. "I'll see you again InuYasha."

"Can you promise me that?"

"Yes, I can promise you that I will see you again." I walked forward and pulled him to me and he wrapped his arms around me. "You're still all warm and fluffy."

"You're soft and fuzzy and welcoming." He said into my hair.

"You feel loving." I said into his chest. I stayed in the warmth. Even though he didn't hug me _that_ much to begin with, I still missed the warm.

He froze a bit at my words, but relaxed and started petting my hair like you would pet a dog's fur.

"I hate to interrupt this love fest, but you have to work in ten Kagome." Sango said from the doorway.

I reluctantly pulled away to see InuYasha's eye lids almost closed. "InuYasha, I have to go now." He pulled me close again, but this time it was to lay a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Be safe, my Kagome." He whispered to me.

I was in a daze, so I came to when we were at HQ. "That was so sweet, InuYasha kissed you! And it wasn't one of those stupid kisses, it was a meaningful one." Sango was way too happy. Nobanaga was waiting for me outside the door.

"We made up." I told him as he hugged me.

"I know. I could practically hear Sango blabbering about him kissing you on the head from here." We walked inside and got our junk together and got into the van.

**End.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Begin.**

Last night was better than it had been all week. I fought harder and didn't even use my arrows, not that I normally do, but whatever. Sano killed some and so did Nobe, but like always, I was the one that killed most of them.

We had eleven days left until Halloween, it's the 20th. I remember that Sesshomaru told me he'd pick me up today, but I don't think that's going down today.

When I got home, just like the first week I knew him, InuYasha was waiting for me, but this time he copied Miroku, and laid down with a spot open for me. I got changed into some shorts and a long-sleeved tee and laid down like we always do, and I fell asleep, enveloped by the loving warmth he had for me.

When I woke, InuYasha was rubbing my arms like he always did to wake me up. "Good morning. I do believe Sesshomaru invited you over, but he won't be able to follow through on that, so I'm taking his place."

I yawned. "I'm taking a shower, then eating, yes eating InuYasha get the look off your face." I got out of his hold, stretched and took a shower. I went downstairs and picked up an apple and took a bite out of it.

"Oh my goodness! Kagome is EATING! This is a Christmas miracle!"

"In October?" I asked him with a bite of red apple in my mouth. "You mean it's a Halloween miracle."

"No, that will happen when you give me some answers _on_ Halloween." InuYasha laughed and ate some sausage my mom made him. "Your mother left this for you." He handed me a green note.

"InuYasha, my mom's not here right now. She's away on a trip." I took the paper from him.

"Oh. Some man who said he was your father gave this to me to give to you."

"My father is dead InuYasha. What did he look like?"

"He had long, black hair and black eyes, why? Do you not know him? Kagome, just what did I do?"

He sounded worried. "I think I do." I opened the paper.

_Hello Kagome! It's nice to see that you're still cutting us down so much, even with all that's happened to you with Sango, Miroku and InuYasha. I won't deny you access so close to Halloween. We could use you on our side, Kagome, please, join us. We have forgiven you for cutting so many of us down._

_ Please, join us Kagome. We only want you, we don't want Kikyo anymore, she isn't the true Chosen One, there is another one, but we do not know who it is. Just something to keep your thoughts occupied._

_ Your own, Naraku._

"Shit. This is not good." I ran to the phone and called Ichijo. "They gave me another note. You're going to want to bring her father with you, and Kaede."

That was the end of the conversation and I turned to InuYasha who was looking at me with worry I'd never seen before. There was just so much worry in his eyes. "What's happening to you, Kagome?"

I gave him my best smile. "Nothing. I'm going to have to rain check the visit to your house. I hate to be rude, but you should go home. I'll call you when I'm done." I thought about something. "In order for me to do that though I'm going to need your phone number."

He wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed it to me. "Call me the _second_ you get done, okay." He hugged me. "I know you're about to do something dangerous, so be careful." He kissed me on the forehead again and left. The next moment, Ichijo and Kikyo's father and Kaede walked through my door.

I handed Ichijo the note and he read it, along with Kaede and Kikyo's father. "I knew it had to be a mistake. It's happened again, we've made a mistake, although I had a hunch that Kikyo _wasn't_ it." Kaede said.

They all began talking about how we were going to perform some ceremony to kill the Chosen One's gifts, not her, just her gifts. Yes, the Chosen One is always a girl. They made a dress for her to wear.

The talking continued and I got bored and picked up the slip of paper with InuYasha's number on it and held it close to me.

**End.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Begin.**

The ceremony that they were going to perform on Kikyo is called The Calling because Halloween is when the spirits of the dead come out to play, and when they do, the old elders can take the Chosen One's power away from her. It doesn't hurt her though.

"So, what's happening?" InuYasha asked me when he picked me up after Kaede and them left and I called him.

"Shouldn't you know that already?" I joked.

He sighed. "Kagome, some strange person came to your door and knows who your mother and you are. You're in danger!"

"Not more than I normally am."

"So you admit that you get yourself into danger!" InuYasha exclaimed.

I sighed. "InuYasha, I'm in more danger than you think you know. I've been in more danger than you can fathom. Trust me InuYasha, I know what I'm doing."

"Kagome, I'm sick of this, now tell me what's going on or I'll ask Kaede what's happening to you and I'll be staying here for a while too."

"I don't care if you stay here, and Kaede will give you the same answers as before, it's your safety you should be worried about. He knows you know me, and he knows you and I are friends, I'm worried for your sake, not mine. Can we get off this subject now? I really don't feel like talking about work right now."

"Will you at least tell me what kind of work you do that people get captured?"

I paused for a moment and sighed. "Fine. I am thrown into danger every night, I'm lucky to come out with what I do, and I could kill Sesshomaru if I wanted to, just saying."

He stayed silent for a moment. "You're opening up to me?" I made a small noise to signal the answer. "You're really opening up to me." I made the same noise again. "This is amazing."

I gave a small laugh. "Why don't you come over here and talk to me face to face. I'll make you food if you want, ramen. What do you say?"

"I will be there in about one minute."

I laughed at him. "I'll see you soon then." I hung up the phone and went into the kitchen and made him some ramen. The water wasn't even simmering when he walked in and hugged me from behind.

"I've missed you. You worried me this morning." He picked me up and spun me around. "How have you been?"

I giggled. "I've been perfectly safe. How were you?"

He nuzzled my neck. "I was on the deep end, until I got your call, and now I'm doing just fine." I felt him smile on my neck.

"I'm glad I could help you."

He froze in a joking manor. "Kagome, you're the reason I was worried to begin with." Both of my feet were on the ground, and he was rocking both of us side to side.

The water was boiling. "Let go, I need to make your food." He released me and I put the noodles in and waited for three minutes and then flavored them, put them in a bowl and gave it to him with a fork and spoon.

He ate the noodles like he hadn't had food in three weeks. The last bite he had, he got up, opened my mouth and shoved the food in my mouth. I rolled my eyes and ate it. "So, Kagome _can_ eat after all." He smirked at me.

"You know I can eat." I punched him in the shoulder. "So, what do you want to do now?"

He closed in on me and put his hands on either side of my hips on the counter. "What do you want to do? Do you have to work tonight?" He leaned in closer to my face.

I nodded my head. "Same hours. You only have to wait a few more days until I can tell you, just be patient with me, okay." I smiled at him.

He sighed. "Girl, I'm always patient with you. You're always not eating, not sleeping, just not being healthy, just all things bad for you."

I glanced over at the clock and realized that I needed to be there soon. "I'll be right back, okay?" I ducked under his grasp and ran upstairs and changed my clothes. I jumped back down the stairs, but InuYasha wasn't there. "InuYasha, where are you?" I was starting to become frightened. Naraku knows where I live and he knows about InuYasha. What if Naraku came in and took him? "InuYasha, where are you?! Please answer me!" I ran all over my house, looking for him and a sign that Naraku was there.

I finally got to my living room, and InuYasha was running out of the hallway. I ran into him and flung my arms around his neck. "InuYasha, you're safe, you're safe!" I buried my face in his neck. "You're okay."

He rubbed circles on my back. "It's okay Kagome, I'm right here, nothing is going to happen to you."

"It wasn't me I was worried about, it was you. I came back down and I couldn't find you and you didn't make a sound." I closed my eyes and hugged him tighter to me.

He held me tighter. "I worry you?"

I let out a breath. "InuYasha, I worry about you more than you worry about me. Just hush and let me hold you. I thought you'd been killed or captured."

He went silent and we stood there hugging for about five minutes. We pulled away, and InuYasha was about to kiss my forehead again, like he always does. I got up on my toes and kissed his head before he could get to mine. "I'll see you later, okay?" I gave him one last hug. "Stay safe for me, okay?" I squeezed one last time and ran off to go guard Kikyo.

"Naraku, what a horrid surprise. You must have a death wish, bastard." He flung me back into a tree but I got back up and swung at him. It hit him and knocked him over but he got back up as well.

"It is nice to see that your skills haven't died since the last time I had the chance to see you in action."

"This will be your last time to see me in action because today will be that last time you ever see me for I will kill you tonight!" I ran at him and he ran at me. We collided with each other. I wounded him so seriously, he transformed into a cloud and floated away.

I was also wounded, but I got back up and kept guarding. I killed a lot of the Souleaters tonight. I have to admit it was fun sometimes.

I got back and saw Sango waiting for me. "What happened to you?"

I sighed. "Naraku paid me a visit." I rolled my eyes. "I almost killed him, but he vanished like a coward before I could kill him." I sat back in the seat at eight in the morning and she drove me to my house, where InuYasha was waiting in the kitchen.

He came up to me and hugged me. "How are you? You look like you've been in a fight."

I sighed, but hugged him back to me. "Remember when I told you that I am put through more danger than you could ever think possible? Well, last night, I was in a fight, like normal, and I almost got the guy, but he ran away like a coward."

He pulled away and sighed. "I really, _really_ wish you'd tell me what you do." He ran his hands up and down my arms.

"I know you do, but you only have ten more days until I can tell you, and I can't wait, so all of this will make sense." I smiled up at him.

"So, I want to ask you a question." I nodded my head to let him continue. "I know you don't want a relationship until after Halloween, but does that mean I can't kiss you?"

I gave him a strange look. "Why would you ask, I know you're-" I didn't get to finish because InuYasha planted his mouth on mine. I deepened the kiss, and then we both pulled back.

"I asked because I really wanted to do that." He rested his forehead on mine. "I'll bug you about that later." He smiled at me. "Come on, let's go get you to sleep, shall we? I have a surprise for you."

I gave him a look. "Okay. Can I get changed first?"

He nodded his head. I slowly backed up the stairs and he laughed at me. I put on my Buffy pajamas, and went back downstairs to InuYasha waiting for me. He held his hand out and I took it. He flung me into his arms and ran out the door. "Where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you somewhere I know where whoever it is that is trying to kill you can't find you. I won't lose you." We arrived at his house moments later. "Here we are."

"Is your father home?"

He got a suspicious look on his face. "Why do you need to know?"

"The last time I was here, he asked me why every time he saw me I was passed out and hurt. I want to show him that the third time is the charm." I smirked at him.

The look on his face went away. "I think he's awake and in the kitchen."

Before we went inside, I stopped him. "You know I will never use you, right? I still don't remember all he does, and my job doesn't give me much to think about other than the basics and the now, so don't worry. I'm not going to use you to get at him." I smiled at him.

He smiled brightly down. "I was hoping you'd say that. I trust you. Let's go see my dad."

"Wait, do you want to trick him?"

He smirked. "What do you have in mind, my dear?"

So, when we walked in, I was going to pretend to be passed out, but then when InuTaisho got near me, I jumped awake and scared him, InuYasha never letting me go. We both laughed at his reaction.

"Hey Mr. Takahashi, how are you doing?" I laughed.

He laughed along with us. "I'm good. It's nice to see you while you're awake, even though you couldn't manage the 'not hurt' part."

I giggled. "I'll be just fine."

"Okay, dad, we're going to go upstairs now, Kagome isn't safe at home and I brought her over here."

InuTaisho eyed me. "You're not safe?"

"Maybe you and I should talk about this some other time."

InuTaisho held out his hand to me and I took it. He pulled me from InuYasha's arms and into his own. "How about we talk now. I'll return her shortly, for now just go up to your room, please."

InuYasha nodded and turned to go to his room. InuTaisho took me to his office and closed the door. He walked over to his rolling chair and put me in it and kneeled before me. "What danger are you in?"

"I sighed. "This Souleater, Naraku, has figured out that the elders made a mistake in the Choosing. Kikyo isn't the real chosen one. Naraku has been following me, and he knows about InuYasha. I'm afraid for InuYasha and Sesshomaru, no matter how strong they both are. Keep them safe. They shouldn't be near me until after Halloween." I looked away from the father of the boys I was putting in danger.

He gave a low chuckle and took my hands, making me look at him. "Kagome, I know you're worried for them, but you have to stop worrying all the time. If you try to handle more than a few things at one time, you'll be overwhelmed. They can take care of themselves."

"I still don't think it's a good idea. I don't want them to get hurt. I don't even want to think about if they were…killed." That thought just brought up bad thoughts.

InuTaisho was shaking me. "Kagome, as long as Naraku wants you, they will be safe. Do you hear me? Don't worry about them. Together they can kill anything that hurts them. You have got to have trust in them. I know you do trust them, but you can't have control over everything, and you can't be with them every second of the day, even though you wish you could."

"I just feel really bad about putting them in danger the way I'm doing it."

He smiled lightly at me. "Kagome, you have a heart of pure gold, nothing will keep them away from you. InuYasha will always be around you, no matter what you say. You can't get rid of him, so you shouldn't try it." He shrugged.

"Anyway, Naraku came to my house and left me two letters. It'll be over in a few days though. I almost killed him."

"That's a good sign. So, who is the Chosen One?"

I shrugged. "No one knows who it is. It could be Kaede for all we know."

He paused for a moment in thought. "Or you could be the Chosen One."

I laughed. "I don't think I could be the Chosen One. I know I'm no Kikyo, but I don't think I'm that good."

He gave a laugh. "I'll talk to you about this when you're all rested up. I'll see you in a few hours or so." He stood and helped me up with him. "Allow me." He bent down and picked me up.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You and your son are just alike. "I can walk you know." I laughed.

We got up to InuYasha's room where he was asleep with a spot open for me. "I think you know what happens from here." He set me down on the ground softly.

"Yes she does know what happens from here." Said InuYasha who was pretending to be asleep this whole time.

"InuYasha, you sly dog you." I laughed at my joke.

He opened his eyes to roll them at me. "That was not funny, Kagome."

"I thought it was a well thought out joke InuYasha, even if it was on the spot." InuTaisho chuckled. "I'll see you both in the morning." He left out the room and InuYasha was on my waist.

"So, what were you and father talking about?"

"I'll tell you later." I was avoiding his eyes. I still felt bad about putting him in danger.

He put his hand under my chin and lifted my face to meet his eyes. "What's the matter? What happened in my father's study?"

I waited for a few moments. "How do you know we were in his study?" His face turned red. "How much did you hear?"

"I know that you feel bad about putting my in danger, and something about the Chosen One, but you're not putting me in any danger. I take that back. The only danger you're putting me in is falling even more in love with you then I was when I first saw you in the classroom our first day." He put his forehead on mine and we stayed like that for a while.

"I don't want you to be in any more danger InuYasha. I want you to be able to live your life care-free, the way life was supposed to be." I pulled away from him, but he pulled me back.

"Don't do this Kagome, please, not when I was just getting you to open up to me, don't do this to me. I won't let you leave me."

I tried pulling back again, but he wouldn't let me. "I can't do this anymore, InuYasha. I _will not_ put you and Sesshomaru in any danger anymore. Thanks to me the most evil type of creature is after you, and the most dangerous one at that. I can't, I _won't do it anymore."_ I backed away from him and ran out of his room, even though I was about to fall and I was in night clothes. I didn't hear him behind me.

He didn't follow me. He either didn't want to chase after me, or he agreed with me and didn't want to talk to me. I got home, and shut and locked the door behind me. I closed my eyes and felt tears start to cascade down my face.

A noise alerted me that someone was in my house. "Who is here?" I shouted, and Naraku formed before me. "Naraku, what are you doing here? Have you come to finish our battle?"

He smirked at me. "Don't you see, I've already won this, girl. I have friends that I trust with all my being. I allow people to become close to me. You don't, and that's punishing you. Then again, who would ever want to get close to you? You were abused for about a year and didn't do anything to stop it. Some people would think you stayed in that relationship because you liked the pain. He also tried to rape you, and you've never forgiven her. You don't open up, and the only skill you have is fighting. So, if you want to kill me, go for it now, just know that it won't help you regain them, those people you wanted to believe you could open up to."

He was laughing. I was on my feet, but I couldn't stand for much longer. I slid down my door and more tears flowed down my face. "That's what I thought. You don't have the strength to kill me right now."

He was before me. I got rage into my system. I shot up and punched him as hard as I could. "I might be alone, but that doesn't mean I can't kill you." I shot at him in bling rage. He flung me back into the door and I slumped against it. He unlocked the door and threw me out, him following.

"You think you can kill me when you're a wreck?" He kicked me and I rolled to the stairs. "You are emotionally weak. You might be the strongest of all in physical strength, but you are the weakest emotionally." He sneered down at me.

I shot up and wrestled him to the ground. "I'll kill you one day, I swear it." I started to choke him.

He smirked. I felt someone pick me up from him, and throw me to the side. "You don't have the emotional stability to kill a fly."

I got up and wiped blood from my mouth. "If I don't have the emotional stability to kill a fly, then how is it that I have I killed so many of your kind, you rotten bastard?" I smirked. "You have to have someone else come and back you up, I don't." I ran at the other one and knocked him away. "Fight me one on one, Naraku."

I didn't see it, but he managed to kick me down the stairs and I tumbled down them. "Try it when you're dead, dear." He laughed and I kept rolling down the stairs. I grabbed onto a branch and was able to stop the rolling.

I got back up and softly ran up the stairs, looking for Naraku. He wasn't on the porch, so I opened the door, and there was a note on the counter for my mother.

_ Ms. Higurashi,_

_ I regret to inform you that your daughter, Kagome, had been murdered. Police don't think it to be so, but she was._

_ I am sorry for your loss._

_ From Naraku_

I'll kill his ass if he hurts my mother. I tore the note to shreds and changed into different clothes. I heard a rustle downstairs and knew it had to be Naraku. I went down the stairs without making a noise, and hid behind a wall to see my attacker.

**I'm ending it right there. So, you'll be wondering about InuYasha and why he didn't follow her. You'll find out. Oh, and by the way, I waited until I was all done with this story to post it.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own InuYasha.**

I went down the stairs without making a noise, and hid behind a wall to see my attacker. I thought it was Naraku.

"You thought you killed me, didn't you, you-InuYasha!" I yelled in surprise when I faced InuYasha and _not_ Naraku. "InuYasha, what are you doing here?" I was shocked.

"I came over to wait for you, but now I'm much more interested in who the fuck tried to kill you and why the fuck you _look_ like someone tried to kill you."

He started to examine me. I was in short shorts, and a tank top. I was going over to HQ for a workout. "Well, I look like someone tried to kill me because someone _did_ try to kill me." I shrugged. "I'm okay now."

"Who did this to you? I'll kill them."

"No, you will leave this house and pretend you didn't see any of this. Leave him to me."

He looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "Kagome, someone broke into your house and tried to kill you, _someone tried to kill you_. I'm not about to leave."

"Yes, InuYasha, you are about to leave." I walked past him. "Someone is out to get me, you will _not_ be caught up in it." I can't let myself become close to him, not with Naraku out there.

He sighed and looked at me. "Hey, you've been crying." He reached up to cup my face, but I backed away before he could touch me.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Kagome, you have been crying, and hard. What happened?"

"I have not been crying InuYasha, you're seeing things." I shook my head and went around him.

InuYasha grabbed my arm on a place that was cut and bruised from the fall down the stairs and I screamed out in pain. "Kagome!" He pulled me close to him. "What happened to you?" He looked down on the spot he grabbed me. "I am so sorry."

"It's fine. I have to go now."

I was about to pull away, but he pulled me close again. "Not until you tell me why you were crying."

"I wasn't crying, okay. I have to go now."

I tried pulling away, but he pulled me back even harder. "Kagome, I'm not letting you go until you tell me why you were crying. I am sick and tired of you pushing me away. You're not leaving until you tell me why."

"InuYasha, I really don't want to do this, but if you don't let me go right now, I'll have to. Please, just let me go." I hope he heard the double meaning in my voice. It was going to hurt for a while, but the best thing for him right now was to lay low and not be around me until I kill Naraku. If he moves away, then I'll live with it as long as he's happy.

"No, I won't let you go Kagome, not until you tell me why you were crying." I looked down and a tear fell from my eyes. "See, you're doing it right now. What's wrong?"

"Forgive me." I whispered to him. I kicked him and fought him off until he was laying on the floor in pain. I ran out the door and to HQ.

Ichijo greeted me. "Why do you look like someone tried to kill you?"

"Someone _did_ try to kill me, and he still thinks I'm dead." I walked to the workout room, where Nobe was punching a bag. He turned to me.

"Why do you look like someone tried to kill you?"

I rolled my eyes and slapped my face. "Someone did try to kill me. That's the third time I've been asked that question." I rolled my eyes again and laughed. "I'm here training for the next time he comes over to kill someone. He thinks I'm dead."

"I'll be your sparring partner." Nobe and I sparred for a few hours and it was about five hours until my shift started. "So, you should get some sleep. I hope you've eaten today."

"I'm not stopping." My mind has to be occupied to keep my thoughts away. "I'll see you later though."

He walked over to me and stopped my hands from throwing more punches at the bag. "That's enough. Do you want to die?"

I huffed. "Nobe, let me go."

"I won't let you go Kagome, you're going to kill yourself."

"Nobe, please, let me go you don't know what you're doing." My hands were still and thoughts of InuYasha came to mind. "Nobe, please let me go." My voice was shaking.

"Kagome, what is going on?" He was concerned. "Kagome, what's happening to you?"

I couldn't hold them back any longer. The tears started falling again. Nobanaga hugged me while I cried. Violent sobs shook my body, causing me to lose my strength and I slunk to the ground with Nobanaga still supporting me. "It's okay Kagome, you can cry, all humans do it."

"I can't let him get this close to me, what if something happens to him and I can't save him?" I was gasping for air.

Nobanaga forced me to look into his eyes. "Listen to me, Kagome. You are stronger than this. You could save Kikyo and Sango if they were in different countries. You could save him if you needed to." He bent down and gave me a small kiss on the mouth, like he always did. It wasn't a romantic kiss.

"What if I can't, what if 'm not that strong?"

He gave me another small kiss. "You can, and you are. Now come on, let's get you to a bed."

Nobanaga lived about two minutes away by walking, and so he took me to his house and let me sleep there. His girlfriend got weird when we walked through the door.

"Who is this, dear?" She asked with distain in her voice and she clung to his arm like a clamp.

"My name is Kagome."

"Oh, so this is _the_ Kagome! It's nice to meet Nobanaga's daughter." She knew that I wasn't his real daughter. "What happened to you, dear? Here, let me get you cleaned up." She took me into the kitchen and cleaned my injuries. Her name is Taki, and she's actually really nice.

"Thank you." It didn't take long, and Nobe and Taki led me up to an extra room and let me sleep. I only got an hour of sleep though. Nightmares haunted my sleep. When I got up, I took two more pills from Koga, and went back down the stairs.

"Here, eat this before you go." Taki pushed a plate of food to me.

"Thanks, but I'm late, and I don't like eating right before just in case I'm thrown into action. Thank you though."

"Kagome, what did I tell you?" Nobanaga scolded me.

"Nobe, I have to go and guard. Thanks for everything though. I'll see you when you clock in, okay." I walked out the door and to HQ.

"Kagome, how was the workout?" Ichijo greeted me when I walked in.

"It was great. Nobanaga took me home and I got some sleep and now I'm ready." He nodded slowly not believing me, and I went on to guard.

The closer it gets to Halloween, the more Souleaters they send. I killed all twenty-five of them. At seven, when my shift was over, I went home and cleaned up the mess Naraku had made when he tried to kill me. InuYasha wasn't there. I kept telling myself that this was the right thing to do.

**So, that was that chapter. So, again, if I'm being too dramatic, please, by all means let me know.**


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own InuYasha.**

I walked into first period without Sango. I hadn't slept in days, I hadn't eaten in days. I am surprised that I'm not dead by now.

"Hey, what is this I hear about you almost being killed?" Asked Sesshomaru when he got in, without InuYasha.

I looked up through my bands. "Some guy stalked me, he tried to kill me, he thinks I'm dead, I'm not, end of story." I replied curtly.

He gave me a funny look. "Is everything alright, you seem to be irate and off." He looked closer. "Have you been crying?"

I sat up more. "Hell no I have not been crying, I don't fucking cry." I slouched back down. Sesshomaru turned back around and InuYasha came in with Kikyo. I know it shouldn't hurt me, but it does, even though he looked angry that she was there, while Kikyo didn't have a look on her face.

He came back and passed something to Sesshomaru. "Don't ask me, if you can't ask her yourself then you do not deserve an answer InuYasha." He threw the note back at InuYasha and InuYasha sighed.

He looked back here and did a double take when he saw me. I had been crying earlier that morning. "Kagome, have you been crying?"

I looked at him through my bangs. "No, I have not been crying."

He gave me a look. "No, you have been crying." His look was slowly turning into a glare.

"You're wrong, InuYasha, I haven't been crying, so turn around." I turned around and before I knew it, he was right there at my desk, standing so I couldn't get out.

"Damn it Kagome, stop that."

InuYasha, do you remember what happened the last time you tried to do this?" I was referring to when I beat him up.

He gave a sigh. "You know what, fine, just forget it." He got up and walked back to his seat and I felt like crying again. I hated that I was hurting him. No matter what I did, I couldn't manage _not_ to hurt him. I would either break his heart or get him killed.

I was on the brink of crying, I could feel the tears about to fall, but I willed them to stay where they were. Sesshomaru turned around and put a neatly folded tissue on my desk with a note.

_You know I'm a demon and I can smell that you're about to cry. This is just so you don't have to give it away._

I took the tissue and crumpled it up in my fist and held it to my eyes secretly and got all the tears away. Sesshomaru passed me another note.

_You see, I thought you would do that, now InuYasha smells them too. Look at him._

I glanced up and realized that InuYasha was looking at me with worry in his eyes. I jerked my head back to the front.

When the bell rang, I left school all together, I just couldn't take it anymore. I ran home and locked the door. I was walking around my house. I went to the kitchen and did something I thought I would never do in my life. I picked up a knife, exposed my wrist, and made four even cuts, watching the blood drip from them.

I felt better, not good, but not as shitty. I went over to the sink and washed off everything, the knife and my wrist. It was noon and I was still restless. I didn't have anything else to do, so I went back to school. I know it is stupid to go back once you've ditched like two classes, but I didn't have anything else to do.

When I got back it was lunch, so I went to Kaede's office. "Where have ye been child? Ye just left school and came back. Have ye been crying? What is the matter my child?" I made sure my sleeves covered my cuts, and I just told her that the stress was coming back to haunt me. She seemed to believe it.

When lunch was over, I went to class with Sango. "Hey, where were you?" She asked.

"Gone." I gave her a short response.

"Kagome, what's going on? What happened?" Sesshomaru was lifting his nose and it was turning back to where I was sitting. My eyes went wide and I clamped my right hand over the wrist where the four cuts I made were. As it turns out, that wasn't enough to calm his nose.

He turned around abruptly and looked at me and my wide eyes. He gave me a look of recognition and I looked down at my paper.

The rest of the day went by and Sesshomaru didn't bother me about what he'd smelled. When the final bell rang, I held back, hoping that Sesshomaru would think that I was one of the first people out of the room. Sure enough, I was the last person to leave the room. I followed the flow of students out the doors, where a demon grabbed me roughly by the arm and dragged me back inside and slung me into lockers.

"What the fuck was that in fifth period? Why do I smell faint blood on you and why were you looking guilty?" Sesshomaru's eyes were bright gold with anger. When I didn't say anything, he yanked my left arm up and rolled my sleeve up. He didn't say anything for a while after he knew what he was looking at. "How did you let it get this bad? Why didn't you come to me or Sango, or Miroku, or InuYasha?"

"I can't put you, Miroku or InuYasha in danger, I _won't_."

"So you decide to go home and slit your wrists?"

"Hey, be quiet. That's not something you just shout out loud."

"I don't care, Kagome. You are like my sister, I care about your safety. Let's go."

"I have work this afternoon, I can't go."

"Oh, this won't take long at all." He dragged me behind and led me out to his car to Sango and InuYasha. "You two wanted to know why Kagome left, here's your answer."

When he flung me forward, I rolled down my sleeve and flipped over Sesshomaru. "I have to go, Sesshomaru."

"Kagome, tell them why you left or I'll tell Kaede why you left."

I stared at him. "You're bluffing right now."

"Like hell I'm bluffing. Kaede loves you too and has a right to know."

"Kaede has a right to know what, Sesshomaru? Kagome, what's going on?" Sango looked worried and confused.

I looked at Sesshomaru, avoiding InuYasha's glare at me. "I'm leaving."

"Fine then, how about I go with you." He walked forward and grabbed my left arm again. "Sango, come with us why don't you."

I kicked him in the side and ran to Nobanaga's house and banged on his door. "Open the door if you're in there." The door opened and Nobanaga pulled me inside.

"You rang?"

"Sesshomaru is going crazy again. He's chasing me again." I rolled my eyes.

"I see." His voice trailed off at the end. I looked at his face and where his eyes were looking. Sesshomaru had managed to roll my sleeve up again, and I didn't roll it back down. "Kagome, what are those? Please tell me that Naraku gave you those four evenly spaced cuts on your wrist."

I gulped. "Nobanaga let me fix this, please." I was shaking a little.

He grabbed the arm and looked at it. "Kagome, I knew you were going through some stuff, but I didn't know that it was this bad."

I drew my hand away. "I have to go now. I won't do it again, I promise."

He looked sad and hugged me. "Please, Kagome, tell me when this type of thing happens. I will be over where you are in ten seconds."

"I know, I know." I hugged him back. When he let me go, I thanked him and he walked me to HQ, where Kaede was waiting for me. As it turns out, Sesshomaru made a pit stop.

"Kagome, let me see your wrists."

"Kaede I won't do it again."

"You know that I have to report you now, right? Don't ask me not to, you're getting worse."

"Kaede, it won't happen again, I promise." The alarm went off, signaling that a Souleater was out. It was Naraku. "Let me get this one."

I got out and faced him and he turned white in the face. "K-Kagome? You aren't supposed to be alive."

"Surprise!" I punched him in the face and kept on beating him up. "You thought I was dead! You thought wrong!" He was crumbling.

"Your wrist has four cuts on it that aren't accidents. You cut yourself, look what you're turning into Kagome."

"I'm not turning into anything, Naraku!" I punched him again. "My head might be fucked up as hell, but that doesn't mean I can't kill your sorry ass!" I cut him on the throat, ending his life.

Or so I thought it ended his life.

He started to glow, and then he disappeared. "Kagome, nice work! Now what about these cuts I hear?" Ichijo was standing right behind me. "It's okay, I've convinced Kaede to drop everything, but Kagome, why would you not come to me first?"

I just stood there looking at the man who'd become my father. "Ichijo, I'm sorry, it was a bad choice." I ran into him and he hugged me as I cried. I'm crying a lot lately and I don't like it.

When I'd finished, he looked at me. "The last time I saw you cry was when Hinten tried to rape you."

"I know." I kept sobbing into his shirt. "I'm sorry Ichijo."

He was petting my hair. "It's okay now." When I was done, he told me to get into uniform and keep going, and when I got home, just ignore school and sleep all day to ease my stress.

The night was a bust. I guess when all of the Souleaters found out that Kagome was NOT dead, they all stayed home in fear.

Ichijo walked me home and gave me a pill that made me sleep. When I woke up, there were three pairs of eyes on me: one pair of golden eyes and two pairs of brown eyes. "Ichijo?" I sat up. I saw Sesshomaru, Sango and Ichijo looking on me. "What's going on? What time is it?"

"Kagome, you're awake." Sango gave me a soft hug, like she was afraid that she would break me. "You've been out for a whole five hours." She smiled at me.

"That was so funny Sango." I smiled back at her and her entire face brightened up.

"It's good to see that you've gotten better."

"How are you Kagome?" Sesshomaru looked onto me with worry. "The last time I saw you was not good and I apologize for my behavior, but you must understand that I was afraid."

I nodded. "I understand. I'm doing much better now, I wonder why."

Ichijo laughed. "A big reason you've felt the way you have been feeling is because you're sleeping for about thirty minutes a day, if that." There was a knock at my door. "I'll get that."

"So, you're kicking Naraku's ass." Sango stated and we both laughed.

"WHERE IS SHE!" We all turned our heads to the entry where the voice came from. Sesshomaru and Sango got into fighting positions in front of me. InuYasha came in and he was raging. "KAGOME!" He was beyond pissed right now.

"InuYasha, back down." Barked Sesshomaru.

"Let me through or so help me you're both going to wish you were never born."

Sango barred her teeth at InuYasha. "We will never let you pass. Get away from her right now until you can learn to control your temper."

"Guys, let him through. There's something I need to say anyway to him, alone." They looked at each other, then left the room, shutting the door behind them. "InuYasha, I'm-"

"Shut the hell up Kagome. I'm tired of going through this all the damn time. I'm tired of waiting, it is pissing me off. What the fuck is wrong with you?" His eyes were red.

"InuYasha, calm down."

"NO! I'm not going to calm down!"

I got out of the bed and walked over to his shaking form and wrapped my arms around his neck. "InuYasha, please calm down." The only thing I heard from him was a growl. I pulled away and it got worse. He was working overtime to keep under control, and he was starting to fail. "InuYasha." I got up on my toes and hesitated a little before pressing my mouth to his.

After a moment, he changed back and I started to pull away, but he kept me there. Hey, I'm not exactly complaining. "Kagome." He moaned my name.

I put one hand on his cheek and the other around the back of his neck. One of his arms was around my waist and the other around my shoulders.

We finally pulled back and looked at each other. "Are you going to be okay now?"

He smiled and pulled a strand of hair behind my ear. "I will be now." He picked me up and carried me to the bed. "Explain." He said only one word and I did. I explained everything. "Why didn't you tell me about this? I could've helped you." He held me in his arms.

"I didn't want you to get hurt, and I still don't."

He laughed. "You still don't get it, do you." I looked at him. "Kagome, I love you, and I'm not going to leave you when you think I should. I won't leave you behind." He brought his hand up to cup my cheek. "As long as I live you won't be left behind." He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to mine. "I won't ask you to be with me just yet because I know you're going through a lot right now."

I pressed my lips to his forehead. "Thank you. It's only seven days away."

He smiled. "I can't wait. Although, you know I'm still going to do this." He leaned in and kissed me again and I responded to him.

When he pulled back, I smiled. "I know you will, but I might steal one of these too." I leaned forward and kissed him. I put my hand on his neck and he wrapped his arms around my waist and I put both of my arms around his neck.

"Hey, could you two maybe wait until no one is in the house to get it on?" Asked a perverted Miroku from the doorway.

InuYasha only turned his head a little so that his mouth was still on mine. "Go away and leave me alone to do stuff." He turned back and continued to press his lips to mine.

"InuYasha, get off." Sesshomaru came between us, and since it was unexpected, his lips pressed against mine for a short amount of time.

"Dude, you just kissed my girl! What the hell is wrong with you?" InuYasha was yelling at Sesshomaru.

"Hey, you didn't know how to, so I thought I'd let her kiss a real man before she chose you." There was a collective 'ohh' from the room.

"I hate to interrupt here, but Kagome and Sango have something to do."

Sango and I looked to each other and got changed. She said her goodbye to Miroku, and I was saying bye to InuYasha.

"So I'll see you tomorrow in class, okay?" He asked me, his forehead on mine.

I closed my eyes and smiled. "You bet you will." I giggled a little. When I heard Sango call for me, I pressed a kiss to InuYasha's mouth, and tried to leave before he stopped me.

"You call that a goodbye kiss? Hell no. _This_ is a goodbye kiss." He bent down and pressed his mouth firmly to mine. It lasted for one minute and the _only_ reason we stopped was because Sango pulled me away.

"If I can't do that without Miroku doing something with my ass, you two can't either."

"Don't know if I can say that when we're alone." He wiggled his eyebrows. I laughed and rolled my eyes then blew him a kiss.

"You and InuYasha make the cutest couple ever."

I rolled my eyes at her. "We're not together yet though."

"I know, but you will be together soon." She smiled and drove on to HQ, where we got ready and got to kill us some demons.

**End Chapter**


	16. Chapter 16

**I am skipping the next few days, but there will be a summery right here. I don't own InuYasha.**

So it is October 31, Halloween. The past few days have been cool. With the mess I made with InuYasha all cleaned up, he and I spent as much time with me as he could because he knew that I could be dead in one minute. We aren't a couple yet, but there has been kissing going on. A lot of kissing.

Sango and I fought a lot of Souleaters last night, and we're ready for tonight. Tonight, a new Chosen One will be claimed and her power taken from her. Tonight was also the night that I kill Naraku.

Tonight, even though she's not the Chosen One, Kikyo will be in the dress that was fitted for her, she will be in the ring, and ALL of our Guardians will be there. InuTaisho said he would be there too, but I told him not to.

InuYasha was waiting for me in first. "Can I kiss you now?"

I giggled as his hands wondered over my middle. "No, not yet."

He nuzzled his face into my neck and breathed in my scent. "But I want to kiss you, my dear. I really want to kiss you right now." He kept nuzzling my neck.

"InuYasha, get off. Do that later." I rolled my eyes.

He gave me a smirk. "Oh, I _will_ do that later." He wiggled his eyebrows at me but kept onto my neck. "Today could be the last day I see you. Can I _please_ kiss you?"

I groaned. "Fine but only-" His mouth was searching mine with pure hunger. In my head, I said 'what the hell', and responded.

After a minute or two, Sesshomaru butted in again. "Sesshomaru, if you don't stop kissing her, so help me I'll kill you."

"Sesshomaru?" Asked a small voice from behind us. She was short with black hair, a small part in a ponytail.

"He wasn't actually meaning to kiss me, he was just cock blocking." I smiled and the girl laughed.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I thought was going on."

"Don't worry, it isn't the first time I've been thought someone else's cheating girl."

InuYasha gave me a questioning look. "Who else thought you were the cheater thing?"

"Nobanaga's girlfriend, the day Naraku paid me a visit, thought I was another girl, but then I told her my name, and she'd heard of me before, and she sweetened up a lot." I shrugged. He didn't look happy and he went around Sesshomaru and kissed me.

In between kissed, I told him, "There's nothing romantic going on with me and Nobanaga, he's like an older brother."

That stopped him a little, but not much. "Okay you two, stop that." Sango laughed at us. "We have a class to go to." We looked at her, our mouths half on each other's mouth. We saw Miroku came up behind her, poked her to scare her, and when she turned around, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

"If they can, we can." I couldn't get more than a muffled sound out because our mouths were still touching. We turned back to each other. We also saw that Sesshomaru had Rin with him. It was make-out corner over here. The warning bell rang and we went to class, InuYasha's arms or hands never leaving my body.

InuYasha's hands never left my body all day. When I got home, I changed into a different uniform for the special occasion. Mine, since I'm the leader, were sliver sparkling, skinny pants, and the same material in a long sleeved shirt. I got a gold weapon belt that night, and golden knee boots. I put my hair up in a ponytail with a silver bow.

I went down the stairs, and InuYasha looked at me with his mouth open. "Kagome, you look beautiful. Not that you don't always look amazing, but I mean wow." He gave me a mischievous look. "It's just a shame that I won't see it again until you leave." He stalked forward, and I decided to end it and strode forward and kissed him first because he kissed me first all day and I wanted a turn.

Sure to his word, InuYasha and I stayed lip-locked for thirty minutes until I had to go. "You be careful. You need to live, okay? I don't want to live my life without you." Sango was at my door. "Remember that I love you, okay." He bent down once more.

I stayed a whisper away from his mouth. "I love you, InuYasha." I could hear a sharp intake of breath. I leaned forward and kissed my shocked InuYasha. I pulled away. "I have to go now, but remember this: I love you InuYasha." I gave him another deep kiss and left.

"So, how long did you and InuYasha make out?"

"Sango, are you jealous that InuYasha and I made out for thirty minutes?" I laughed.

"Damn! Thirty minutes is a bit long, don't you think?"

"It's not too long for what we're doing tonight." I paused for a moment. "I told him."

Sango's mouth flew open. "You told InuYasha that you love him? Damn time, girl! He's told you, like, fifteen times, it's about time you told him you loved him too." She snorted. The uniform the rest of them wore were all bronze.

"Are you ready for this?"

"Let's just get this over with."

It was midnight, and the full moon was up and shining down on the ring. The Souleaters came after her. It was a constant battle, and I fought most of them off. When the sky turned to all silver, everyone stopped but me. While all the Souleaters were looking up to see who the Chosen One really was, Sango and I were stabbing a lot of them, killing half of those left. We were about to go on to the other half, when a dusk floated its way over to us.

It flowed next to her and I covered my mouth. Sango was the Chosen One. I was about to clap, but it floated over to me. It started spinning around me and I was lifted off the ground. I could see that a purple, puffy, sparkly skirt was forming, and on the top was a long-sleeved black solid.

Everyone was right, I was the Chosen One.

I reached up my hand for the moon, but Souleaters were in the way. Since I was, after all a Guardian, I fought them all off. When the moon was losing it's luster, I reached my hand out to it _while_ fighting off the demons and gave the power back to the universe.

"BITCH!" I turned around and Naraku punched me in the face.

I remembered the holy gun in my belt that I felt through the fabric of the skirt. More were starting to butt in, but I didn't let them. "No, he's all mine." I reached for the gun on the ground.

He smirked. "Boys." I turned around, but there was no one. When I turned back, a sword was through my torso and Naraku at the front.

**I am ending it right there you guys. Only a few more chapters left!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Begin**

That rotten bastard stabbed me when I turned back around. I'm going to kill the fucker. I aimed the holy gun and shot him six times in the head and stomach.

I fell backwards, causing the sword to pop out of my stomach. Ichijo was above me. "Kagome! Hold on Kagome, you've got to hold on!" He lifted me and carried me. "Kagome, stay with me!"

"Ichijo." I was going to die. I'm glad I told InuYasha I loved him. "Ichijo, tell Sango I'm grateful she was here and grateful for everything she's done for me. Tell my mother I love her, Tell Sesshomaru that I'm grateful he cared about me and that I thought of him as a brother, and the same for Nobanaga. Tell Miroku I said he was a pervert, but I love him too. Tell Kaede I love her too. I love you too Ichijo. Tell Kikyo I say good luck. Tell InuTaisho I say I love him too and that I hope all goes well for him in life."

"You're not leaving me Kagome!"

"But you _have to tell InuYasha _that I am in love with him and that I want him to be happy, okay? Can you do that for me?"

I saw Ichijo's tears flowing down his face. "I promise I will Kagome." He was choking up.

I smiled. "Oh, and tell Shi that if she don't get her shit together, she's going to fucking die. But mainly the I love InuYasha part, okay. Goodbye, Ichijo, I love you guys, and I'll be watching."

"NO! STAY WITH ME KAGOME! YOU HAVE TO STAY WITH ME!"

I fell into a dark world.


	18. Chapter 18

Ichijo's point of view:

Kagome is dying and she needs help. I run over and get her into the ambulance we own and they rush her off, but there is a big chance that she will die. I'm glad she killed Naraku though.

There goes the most wonderful girl on the planet. My beautiful, lovely, Kagome.

Kagome.

Kagome.

Kagome.

**Alright, so the end! Ha, no, I'm not going to be mean like Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and end it with her name three times or spelled out…..like those two did in Beautiful Chaos…..it's a great series though, and that's where the idea for the dress came in handy. So, see you next time.**


	19. Chapter 19

**One of the final chapters! I don't own InuYasha. And we're back on Kagome's Point now.**

When I woke up, I had the biggest stomach ache in the world. I wanted to hurl, but there was nothing in there to hurl. I opened my eyes, and there was Sango, Miroku, Ichijo, Kaede, Sesshomaru, InuTaisho and InuYasha.

"Hey guys, what happened?" I waited for a moment. "Why am I not dead?"

They all busted out laughing. "Of all the questions to ask, you ask that one." Kaede was amused.

When I tried to sit up, InuYasha pulled me back down. "Not yet, lovely." He kissed me on the head. "You're too weak. And don't worry about explaining, Sango couldn't get it out of her mouth fast enough. You're a brave girl."

"InuYasha, save it for when you two are alone, would you?" Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

There was one person in the room I couldn't find. "Where's Nobanaga? I asked, worried.

Ichijo calmed me down. "He's getting some coffee." As if on cue, Nobanaga walked in and saw me awake.

After the welcome back to life presentation, I learned that I had killed Naraku very well and that Ichijo was proud, most of the Souleaters were dead and gone, and only few of them remained.

"Can I hunt them down?" I asked.

Ichijo looked sick. "You were stabbed and almost dies, and you want to go picking another fight?" I nodded my head and he rolled his eyes. "Typical."

Once I was caught up, they all left but InuYasha. "You told me you weren't going to get hurt."

"No, I promised you I wouldn't die, and I'm still alive."

He put his hand on my cheek and rubbed his hand in a circle. "It doesn't matter. I was so scared you had died. Ichijo told me what you wanted to tell me. He told all of us, and Sesshomaru says thank you and so does father. He didn't know he meant so much to you."

"He's your dad and he cared about me even when he didn't know my name. You take after him, you both do."

"And this girl, Shi, was angry."

I rolled my eyes. "Bitch can't be sorry I'm dead, but can be mad I even bothered to mention her."

InuYasha laughed. "Ichijo told all of us what you said just in case you…"

He couldn't finish the rest. "He told you guys in case I died or never woke up. It's okay to say it because I'm alive and will be."

He put his forehead on mine. "I was so scared. I haven't left your side but for a few moments at a time."

I smiled. "InuYasha, could you do me a favor?"

He sat up and looked into my eyes. "Anything."

I laughed. "Shut up." He knew what I meant and leaned forward to kiss me.

**Short one….wow that was really short…**


	20. Chapter 20

**I don't own InuYasha.**

It is April and prom is next week. InuYasha and I are going together as a coupled, like we have been a couple since Halloween.

"You know, we're graduating soon." InuYasha said at my house. I'm not going to lie to you, we were spooning and he was shirtless. No we did not have sex, he just wanted to take his shirt off.

I rolled my eyes. "No shit, InuYasha."

"Well, I was just wondering, you never told me where you were going to go, so where are you going?"

I laughed. "I'm going to Tokyo University, just like you." I laughed as I kissed him. There had been a lot of that going on too.

"Yes! That means I don't have to drive a really long time to see you!" We kept on making out.

We did make it to prom, just about thirty minutes late.

**Well, the end now, I promise it's real. There might be a sequel to this, there might not be, it all depends. Anyway, I hope you all like it! Bye! **


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